


Foggy Love: A Vampire Story

by VeryDryWit



Series: Foggy Love [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Anxiety, Homophobia, Human/Vampire Relationship, Light Action, M/M, Mild Blood, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, San Francisco, Slow Build, Smut, Some Humor, Soulmates, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:00:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 45,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23203609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryDryWit/pseuds/VeryDryWit
Summary: Yuri Katsuki is an anxiety ridden college student, whose life is changed by encountering the vampire Victor Nikiforov.NOTE: This last chapter is not new. When I uploaded originally, I missed a chapter, and have added chapter 13.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: Foggy Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668202
Comments: 2
Kudos: 122





	1. The Sunset

“Do you believe in destiny? That even the powers of time can be altered for a single purpose? That the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds true love?” (Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie)

San Francisco, California

Yuri wakes up to the buzzing of his phone alarm. He feels around for his glasses, then sits up in his sleeping bag and yawns. He dresses, stooped over so he doesn’t hit his head on the closet pole above him. Then he grabs his backpack, cracks open the closet door and peeks out. His roommate is still in bed, so he tiptoes through the room, trying not to wake him. The kitchen area is already full of young people getting ready for work or school. Yuri avoids eye contact, and goes out the front door. Once outside on the busy street, he sighs in relief. Then he walks a few blocks, accesses a door and is greeted by a beautiful white poodle.  
“Sit, Lady Diamond! Good girl.”  
He puts her on leash, then picks up a Chihuahua named Mr Foofoo, and finally an overweight corgi called Thorgi. He walks them over to Golden Gate Park, the poor corgi dragging behind, waddling and panting.

The day is cool and foggy, a typical summer day. Yuri avoids the fenced in area designated for dogs; the other dog walkers have their cliques and Mr Foofoo gets in trouble with other dogs. Instead Yuri ties the corgi to a tree, then runs in circles with the poodle, while carrying the Chihuahua. Eventually he tires out, and sits with all three dogs and gives them each a treat. The poodle licks him, and he hugs the corgi while petting the other two. It’s the best part of his day.

After returning the dogs, Yuri walks to the University of San Francisco campus for his first day of classes. His phone rings, Yuri fumbles with his backpack and gets his phone out.  
“Hi, mom,” Yuri answers, barely above a whisper into the phone, worried about why his mother is calling.  
“Yuri, I talked to a friend of your father’s, and it sounds like there’s an opening in the accounting department of a start up company…” she begins hopefully. Yuri feels a knot of anxiety build in his chest.  
“Uh… I won’t graduate till December, but, uh… I should go. I have class.”  
“Well, if you’re sure about graduating this time – let us know – your dad and I will drive down for the ceremony.”  
“From Seattle? But that’s a 13 hour drive...”  
“We’ll be fine. Your dad can listen to sports on the radio. Take care, love you, Piggy.”  
Yuri hangs up guiltily, suddenly noticing his sister watching him.  
“Hey little brother, you still haven’t told mom you’re studying art history? You’re so gutless,” she ribs him. Yuri turns red and stammers,  
“I… I can’t do it over the phone…”  
“But you switched majors years ago!” Mari laughs. “Is that why you fake getting sick every Thanksgiving?” Mari makes her voice raspy, “I have to stay in bed, mom, sorry.” Mari rolls her eyes at him, then pats his back. “Your anxiety is getting out of control. Go back on your meds. It’s not normal to be afraid of people, afraid of the dark, afraid of beds off the floor…”  
“It’s creepy to have a dark space under where I sleep! A serial killer could be under my bed and I wouldn’t even know it,” protests Yuri earnestly, then he asks her, “Why are you on campus?”  
Mari pulls out some fliers and a staple gun. She attaches a flier to a billboard nearby.  
“My new band _Pirate Booty_ is playing at a café tonight. We play lesbian metal pirate songs.”  
“Huh?”  
“ _Like Friggin In The Riggin_...? Come and have some fun, meet people…”  
Yuri shakes his head violently.  
“I… I have a paper to write. Later.”

Yuri attends class for the rest of the day, then works on his computer at the library.  
“A whole research paper on the history of porcelain. I’m definitely ready for the real world!” he mutters to himself, shutting his laptop. It’s 10 p.m., the library is closing. His roommate should be out for the night, he can sneak back into his closet. He arrives at the two-story house, and hears booming music and lots of people inside. A party. He hesitates before going in, it’ll be impossible to sleep with all the noise. Still, he should go in and change his clothes. He keeps his head down, and weaves around the drunk people, relieved when he reaches his roommate’s bedroom. The room is dark and he tiptoes through the discarded clothes, when a lamp turns on.  
“Yuri?”  
Yuri freezes and replies,  
“Brandon.”  
Yuri keeps his eyes away from the bed, which seems to be occupied by two naked people. Brandon says,  
“Take your stuff. You need to move out – tonight. My girlfriend’s moving in. I need my closet now.”  
Oh no. He has nowhere to go. He needs to convince Brandon to give him a few days.  
“Right now…?” is all he manages to squeak out.  
“Sorry, bro. She’s a lot hotter than you.” The girl giggles. Brandon gets up, and fishes around in his pockets. “You paid me 400 for the month, here’s 100 dollars back.”  
Yuri takes the handful of twenties from his naked roommate. Upset, Yuri grabs his sleeping bag and stuff, then sits outside the house, wondering where to go. Rooms for rent are 700 to 1500 dollars, and require deposit money. Brandon’s closet was in a safe neighborhood, and didn’t need a credit check or references. Discouraged, Yuri walks towards his sister’s place in the Haight-Ashbury area, then remembers she’s out playing a gig. He stops in the panhandle and sits under a lamp post in a small park, glancing nervously at a grungy person passed out on the nearby bench.

As the hours go by, Yuri becomes more and more anxious. His breath is getting fast and shallow, and he startles at every noise. Why is everything so difficult and scary? He doesn’t want to deal with life anymore…  
“Spare some change?”  
Yuri jumps. He curls tightly into a ball, and ignores the person talking to him. He hears some swearing, then the person moves on. His breath becomes labored, and he dry heaves, like he’s going to throw up. If only he could disappear... He can feel himself screaming, but no sound is coming out. Cold and numb, he sits there, shaking for a long time.

BANG!  
Yuri’s whole body clenches at the noise.  
BANG! BANG! BANG!  
It sounded like gunshots. He hears some voices behind him, in a dark area of the park.  
“Hold him steady. If the stake misses his heart, he’ll be one pissed off vampire.”  
“I don’t get why Eddie isn’t here. This would be so much easier with three people.”  
Yuri bolts up, unsteady since his feet are numb. A man is holding the arms of a person on the ground. The person is dressed all in white, and the hair is white as well. Another man has a piece of wood and a giant wooden mallet. Freaked out, Yuri yells,  
“Stop!! Let... let go!”  
Surprised, both men pause for a moment. Still shaking, Yuri doesn’t know what to do. Then the tall lanky guy grabs the victim again, but the white-haired person on the ground suddenly waves his arms. The other attacker raises the mallet again and Yuri throws his sleeping bag at him. The bag had been hastily rolled up and it unrolls, draping the attacker in fabric. The white-haired person jumps up and bites the other man in the neck. Yuri watches in astonishment as the attacker collapses, unconscious. The mallet guy backs up, white hair grabs him and chomps into an upper arm. Now both attackers are lying on the ground. Yuri stares at the biter. The white-haired man is taller than him, with very pale skin, elegant and handsome, wearing a white sweater and pants. His hair is long, all the way down his back. There are holes in the sweater, but no sign of blood. The man glances at Yuri, then puts his hand on one of the attacker’s heads.  
“Who sent you?”  
The guy opens his eyes and cringes, then replies in a terrified voice,  
“I dunno! This warlock guy had a mask on, said we’d make a thousands bucks, it’s all I know, I swear!”  
The man puts his hand on the other attacker’s head, who adds,  
“Mask guy’s been blabbing about it for years, but you don’t ever leave your house…”  
The white-haired man informs them,  
“I will write to Grandmother that you attacked me. She will decide the consequences.”  
The two guys nod and hang their heads. Then he adds,  
“Now go!”  
The guys leave the park quickly, looking terrified.

Yuri turns around, expecting people to be staring or calling the police. But no one notices. Yuri pulls out his cell phone, and tries to use it. But his hand is trembling, and his phone is off. He presses buttons, but the screen stays blank. Then the pale man turns towards Yuri, and introduces himself with a bow,  
“Victor Nikiforov, originally from St. Petersburg, in Russia. And you are?”  
“Yu… Yuri. You… You bit them. You… You’re a vampire? Are they vampires now?” stammers Yuri, thinking he must be hallucinating. The man wrinkles his nose, then insists,  
“Not at all. Becoming a vampire is a long, difficult and taxing process. And attacking a vampire should be much more difficult.” The man shakes his head irritably. “What is your full name, Yuri?”  
“Yuri Katsuki.”  
Victor gets down on one knee, and takes hold of one of Yuri’s hands, holding it palm up. The man is wearing gloves that feel very soft.  
“Yuri Katsuki, I owe you my life. I solemnly vow to protect your body with mine until my life debt is repaid.”  
Yuri stares in shock at the other man. Then, keeping Yuri’s hand in his, Victor pulls him forward, and gives him a quick kiss on the lips, and a shiver goes up Yuri’s spine. Yuri continues to stare in incomprehension, while Victor observes him with curiosity. The man muses,  
“You’re kind of cute, though your choice of clothing is appalling. Let’s see, how do I take care of my new human master? Do you need some type of nourishment? Or perhaps you’d like some music? I play the piano…”  
Yuri takes a deep ragged breath, like he’s been holding his breath for the last few minutes. He whispers,  
“You… You kissed me.”  
Victor tilts his head, and replies,  
“Yes. I was sealing my oath to you. Are you unaware of mage world customs?”  
“What’s the mage world?” asks Yuri tremulously. Victor wrinkles his nose and replies,  
“Ah. This will be more challenging than originally anticipated. I should walk you home, you need your nightly respite.”  
Tired and suffering from shock, Yuri wails,  
“I have nowhere to go! I lost my place and I don’t have much money – I want my closet right now…” then he begins to cry.  
“I can offer you a room,” reassures Victor, but Yuri continues to sob and shake uncontrollably. Victor picks up Yuri’s sleeping bag, and waits for Yuri to calm down.

Yuri feels exposed, every shadow feels menacing. His breathing gets shallow, and he doubles over as the panic takes over his body. He heaves, struggling to breathe. Victor reaches over and pulls Yuri’s inner wrist to his mouth. His blue eyes flash red for a moment, and pointy canines appear giving a possessed look to the face. Yuri feels a warm mouth, and the tiniest of pricks, and a wave of calm comes over him. He stops crying, and watches Victor. The man’s face has already returned to normal. The tall blonde walks northward, and Yuri follows in a daze. After about an hour, they reach Pacific Heights. Victor stops in front of a large brick mansion, with four tall chimneys jutting up at each corner. They walk up a few steps to two mahogany doors decorated with intricate carving. There are no doorknobs or handles. Victor waves his hand and mutters something, causing a door to swing outward, and a second interior door to swing inward. Yuri looks around for some kind of camera or sensor, but doesn’t see any.

Victor walks into the entryway, then opens a wrought iron gate. Yuri follows him, hugging his backpack like a child holding a stuffed animal. Most people don’t have metal gates inside their homes. The interior is grandiose and dark, like an ornate dungeon. An oil lamp cast more shadows than light into the rooms. The woodwork is dark and the wallpaper is deep red. The ceiling has the curved supports of a crypt and is painted gold. There’s a giant stone fireplace on one side, and an imposing wooden staircase on the other. The furniture and decorations are antiques from the early 1900s, all coated in a thick layer of dust. Victor picks up a small portable candle and narrates,  
“This mansion was built for William Bourn II in 1896 in the Carolingian style, very uncommon for San Francisco. It features a heavy medieval style, with Roman arches and gold accents, representing the gold mines from which his family got rich. The home survived the 1906 earthquake, and a lot of decadent parties in the seventies. The wood is all original, and there’s a ballroom on the second floor.”  
Victor opens another wrought iron gate to access the stairwell. Yuri stays put, unnerved by the gates. He stammers,  
“I… I can’t. My sister is expecting me – I forgot, she’ll be looking for me…”  
Victor pauses, then insists,  
“I’m sworn to protect you.”  
“But you bit me!” protests Yuri, pointing to his wrist.  
“I nipped you to calm you down, not to feed on you.”  
“You’re locking me in!”  
“The security is to keep people out, not to keep you in. Try it.”  
Victor motions to open the gate. Yuri can’t figure out how the mechanism works, but it allows him to get out, but not get back in. Victor goes up flights of stairs to the third floor. As they walk down a long dark hallway, several doors slam shut, and windows rattle as if from a gust of wind. But the trees outdoors are motionless. Victor opens the door to a bedroom with a view of the city and inquires,  
“Would this be suitable?”  
The room has a fourposter bed, a wood armoire and a side table. Yuri shakes his head and says apologetically,  
“I… I have to sleep on the floor. There can’t be any space between the mattress and the floor.”  
Victor leads the way to another room, with a small wrought iron bed frame and mattress. He lifts the mattress effortlessly, and carries it to another room with walls full of books and an oak desk.  
“Would this be satisfactory? I must away to my own chamber soon, I can feel the dawn approaching.”  
Yuri nods, then blurts out,  
“Do you turn to ash in sunlight?”  
“Oh, heavens no! But I’m weakened. My manservant, Boris, takes care of things during the day. I’ll let him know you’re my guest.”

Yuri lies down on the mattress still dressed, exhausted. His mind keeps replaying the night. Gunshots. Mallets. Vampire. He closes his eyes, only to wake up to muted morning light. He doesn’t remember passing out. There’s a knock at the door. An old bearded man comes in, and serves him a meal on a tray. Yuri feels muddled and groggy, and stays in bed. He eats, then falls asleep again.

The next morning, Yuri feels more normal. He gets up and checks the view out the window. A regular day, gray with a bit of fog. The encounter with Victor seems like a dream. There’s a knock at the door. Yuri opens it, and sees the bearded man again.  
“Uh... Boris?”  
“Yes, I am Boris. I take your dishes.”  
Yuri whispers back,  
“Thanks. Will Victor be here, up... tonight?”  
“I do not know,” replies the man, with a Russian accent. Yuri wonders if Boris is a slave, or controlled by Victor with some sort of blood binding.  
“How… How did you get this… job?”  
“I answered ad in paper,” explains the man blandly.  
“Oh,” responds Yuri, not sure how to respond. The man seems normal, though a little gruff. He leaves. Yuri checks his phone and finds it off. He turns it on. He doesn’t remember turning it off... He sees the time and yelps,  
“I missed work!”  
Then he checks his messages and wails,  
“I missed yesterday too? That means… I must’ve slept twenty-eight hours! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! My phone was off, I didn’t hear my alarms!”  
In a panic, he calls his clients, and learns he’s already been replaced. That’s a terrible blow. Yuri sighs dejectedly, then decides to go to class. As he leaves, he asks Boris,  
“I’m going to the university, but... how do I get back into the mansion?”  
Boris replies,  
“Knock at door.”

Wandering around the college campus, Yuri feels unsettled, not quite like himself. He’s always anxious around other people, and usually hides in the back of the classroom. But now he startles at every little sound, and jumps when people get near him. It’s a relief to leave the campus.


	2. A Room of His Own

As he walks up Webster Street, a huge bank of fog rolls in from the ocean, blanketing the vampire’s mansion.

“Welcome home to the dark, creepy, vampire house, ha, ha, ha,” Yuri cackles to himself, as he examines the brick building. In a city full of pink and baby blue rowhouses, this dark red brick mansion with wrought iron Gothic light fixtures seems to be advertising its dark occupant. Yuri stands there on the sidewalk, considering his options. Living with a vampire is obviously a bad idea. He should find a room somewhere else. He walks to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to find his sister. She’s couch hopping, so he checks the latest address she sent. It’s a worn Victorian front, painted in garish tones of pink and purple. There’s a rainbow flag, ‘ _Support Translatinx_ ’ and ‘ _Lesbians who Tech_ ’ signs in the window. He knocks at the door. A tall woman in business attire answers the door,

“Hi, may I help you?”

“I’m Mari Katsuki’s little brother… Is she here?”

“No, sorry she isn’t.”

“Well… I… I kind of need a place to crash…” begins Yuri.

“Oh darling, so sorry... Do you identify in any way as female? Or at least gender-neutral?”

“No, I’m a boy. I was born a boy and... I’d like to stay that way.”

Ugh, he should have at least called himself a man. Sounds like he’s 12.

“You see, this is a feminist cooperative, creating a healing space of non-hierarchical collaborative mentoring and cohabitation. Unfortunately, many of our members have been deeply hurt by people of the male persuasion... So you aren’t allowed inside. But here, let me give you the information for the Gay Homeless Advocacy Center.”

She enters a phone number in his smart phone, and gives him a friendly wave bye-bye. Yuri stares at it for a moment, then mumbles to himself,

“I’m not gay.”

Then he trudges slowly back to the mansion.

Yuri pounds on the front door. A few minutes later, Boris opens the door and lets him in. Then Boris closes the outer door, then the second interior door. Then he lets Yuri through the wrought iron gate. In daylight, the mansion inside is worn and dusty. Victor must be sleeping somewhere below, so Yuri tip toes up the staircase. There are beautiful stained glass windows in between floors that he didn’t notice last night. When he gets to the third floor, he the runs to the bedroom and locks the door. He relaxes a bit, feeling safer. He’ll stay at the mansion till he finds something else.

As the sun sets, the day outside goes from light gray to dark gray. Yuri plugs in the laptop, and it flickers in the darkness, then turns off. He hears a knock. Yuri opens the door and sees the vampire guy. They stare at each other for a moment, then Victor offers,

“Would you join me downstairs for dinner?”

Yuri bites his lip nervously, then nods in agreement. He follows his host downstairs and sits at one end of the dining room table, a long mahogany piece that sits 12. Victor sits at the other end. The vampire is wearing a dark blue suit and tie, with white gloves, like an English butler. The only light is from a candelabra in the middle of the table. Yuri is served a plate of stewed meat with potatoes, while Victor is given a crystal wine glass, and a carafe of dark liquid. Boris pours the liquid into the wine cup. Victor takes a sip, and the mixture glints dark red in the candlelight. Yuri pales at the sight. He points towards his bedroom and asks,

“So… how much the room is going to be? I only have 100 dollars right now – I lost all my clients by not showing up…”

Victor considers the question, then replies,

“The room and board are free, I’ve no need of your money. Though I would appreciate your company at dinner.”

“Dinner?”

Yuri gulps uncomfortably. Victor continues,

“Yes. Boris has agreed to make you dinner each evening, you may use the kitchen for other meals. But Boris doesn’t cook dessert, unfortunately.”

“Am I your... dessert?” Yuri asks in a frightened tone. Victor seems surprised by the question and shakes his head, answering,

“No. I have plenty of blood on hand, no need for yours.”

Yuri blanches. Of course, Victor drinks blood. Human blood... Are there captives chained in the basement? He continues,

“So... does anyone else live here?”

“No, just Boris and myself. I’m habituated to my privacy and solitude. Don’t invite anyone to my home without my permission. I have a sleeping chamber in the basement, I’m not to be disturbed from dawn to dusk,” insists Victor, in a severe tone. Yuri nods quickly. He can’t believe he’s with an actual vampire. Having dinner. He asks,

“Even if the house is on fire?”

Victor nods and adds,

“Even then. Once the fire is extinct, and it’s nighttime, it would be safe to wake me.” Victor pours himself more of the red liquid. “What kind of work do you do?”

“I’m a dog walker, well, I was a dog walker. I love animals, and it paid under the table and worked well with my class schedule,” Yuri sighs. “It’s a competitive business – it’ll be hard to get new clients.”

“A dog eat dog world?”

Yuri groans, but smiles a bit. He asks,

“Do you have a dog?”

“I haven’t had a pet since becoming a vampire. Animals get jittery around me,” shares Victor, then sips the red liquid. Yuri feels his nerves return, disgusted by the red goop. He looks around the dining room.

“Um... you have a lot of great pieces here... like that porcelain tureen, 18th-century, super nice,” babbles Yuri, looking anywhere but Victor’s wine glass. Victor observes him and remarks,

“I’m an antique dealer. Grave robbing is a suitable profession for me, don’t you think? How about you, what are you studying in school?”

“Art history. And don’t ask me why… I have no plan, no idea why I do it,” replies Yuri defensively. Victor nods, and points to the white porcelain tureen.

“Have you examined it? The details on the outside are quite charming.”

Yuri shakes his head,

“I haven’t looked at anything, your house is… uh, interesting.”

Victor hands him the oval-shaped soup serving bowl and removes the lid. Yuri holds the bowl, admiring the shepherdess with her little sheep depicted in blue. Yuri turns it over and notices the inside of the bowl.

“Wow! The artist painted the inside? It would’ve been coated in soup, the work seems wasted.”

Victor observes Yuri carefully, then inquires,

“You can see the inside scene?”

Yuri assures,

“Sure, I just need glasses to see things that are far away. Oh, it’s the inside of the shepherd’s hut. There’s a fireplace, a dog, a bed, and a little table.”

Victor takes the tureen away from Yuri, and places it on the buffet, carefully replacing the lid. Victor motions with his arm and says,

“Come with me, I want to show you some other pieces of art.”

Victor takes a single candle holder and heads downstairs to a locked door. The flame is flickering wildly, like it’s going to blow out. The door is solid oak, with metal slats, reminding Yuri of a door to a medieval fortress. Yuri gulps. The only thing stupider than living with a vampire, is following one into an underground crypt. It’s like a scene from a horror movie... yet somehow it feels rude to say no… Yuri mutters to himself,

“Right Yuri, politeness is what’s important...”

He goes back up a few steps, as Victor undoes the locks with a huge metal key. The door swings open with a creaking noise. Victor lights an oil lamp, and reveals a storage room with furniture and paintings piled all over the place. Victor remarks,

“I haven’t been here in ages. Some of this should go to my antique store.” Victor looks through several paintings, and pulls out three of them. “What is your opinion of these?”

The three paintings depict people in broad abstract strokes, kind of blobby, with vibrant colors.

“Looks like paintings by David Park, a figurative painter from the fifties. Well, except for that last one, it’s a bit gray, like the colors are faded,” decides Yuri. Victor seems impressed and compliments him,

“Very good! The last one is actually a counterfeit, I’ve been wondering what to do with it. What’s next?”

Yuri looks around, relieved. They’re actually looking at art? He points to some small wood carvings.

“What about those?”

“My collection of _netsuke_? Of course! I met an old Japanese man near the docks, who owned these small artistic purse hangers…” begins Victor, telling the story of each little piece, in the shape of people and animals. He loses his serious demeanor, and becomes as enthusiastic as a child. Yuri finds himself smiling, as they discuss various knickknacks and furniture. Victor gently strokes each piece with his white gloves, which are becoming gray with dust. Yuri wonders how old Victor actually is… he doesn’t look too old, maybe in his thirties.

The next evening at dinner, Yuri is given another meal of meat and potatoes while Victor has another glass of gloopy red liquid in a wine glass. It makes Yuri feel a nauseous, yet he asks,

“So… can I have a key to the house? Boris seems annoyed with opening all the doors for me.”

Victor motions to follow him to the front door, and removes his right glove. He has long fingers made even longer by long pointy nails.

“Place your hand on the door,” Victor instructs Yuri, who does as he’s told. Victor pulls a hair on Yuri’s head.

“Ouch!” exclaims Yuri, wincing in pain. Victor places the hair into his palm and says a few words. The hair becomes a green flame and flies into the door, sending a small jolt into Yuri’s hand. Yuri gapes and rubs his hand.

“Place your bare hand on the door and say the magic words,” explains Victor, then whispers what to say into his ear. Yuri places his own palm on the wood and tries,

“ _Open, Sesame_!” and the door swings open. Yuri jumps up and down excitedly, then plays with the door for a while, while Victor watches him with a half smile.

Eventually, Yuri returns to the dinner table, and pokes at his food, processing what he just saw. He asks tentatively,

“You... you can perform magic? Is that a side effect of the… of becoming a vampire?”

Victor shakes his head, explaining,

“No, more of a causal relationship. A small percentage of humans are able to perform magic, the people of the mage world. We refer to them as warlocks and witches. Vampirism is a curse one warlock may perform on another one.”

“Are you dead? Your lips, I mean, your body felt warm,” questions Yuri. Victor replies,

“I’m alive, just as you. I’m not undead.”

“Alive, okay. But why all the candles? There’s electricity,” continues Yuri. Victor shrugs and explains,

“My magical powers interfere with electrical currents and cause frequent outages. Also the wiring is old, from before I bought the place in 1962. However that doesn’t affect…” Victor reflects for a moment, ”… why fi? Boris makes me pay for… monkey brains, which somehow, affects his computer. Ask Boris about it, electrical machines are not my forte.”

“ _Monkey Brains_ is an Internet provider. That makes sense, sure,” agrees Yuri, mentally calculating that Victor is at least 70. Yet smooth, perfect skin… and amazing hair so pale he can’t tell if it’s blond or white.

“Now, tell me about yourself.” Victor’s blue gaze fixes on him intently. “Do you have a special someone?”

Yuri frowns at the change of subject and his mood plummets. He mumbles,

“No.”

“Really? Is there someone you’re interested in? A fellow student?”

“I… I don’t have time for that. Between working and going to school, it’s already taken me too long to get my degree.”

“Perhaps you prefer casual encounters…?”

“No, no!” Yuri insists, irritated. He points to the crystal wine glass and exclaims,

“Whose blood are you drinking? That’s disgusting!”

Yuri gets up from the table and stomps back to his room.

Once there, Yuri paces around, restless. Still upset, he leaves his room, and randomly opens a few doors. He discovers a few more bedrooms and a huge room with a massive fourposter bed. It doesn’t feel like a guest suite. The bed frame and the bedposts are wrought iron, there are chains hanging from the ceiling, and shackles attached to the bed. The bedding is deep red. The walls are red as well. Oh no, it must be a vampire feeding room! Yuri backs away in horror, when he notices a giant oil painting over to one side. It’s a life-size portrait of Victor, and Yuri stares at it. He hears behind him,

“Do you like it? I posed for hours on that settee, till my shoulders were painfully stiff. Being a model is much more demanding than it looks.”

Yuri flushes red and stutters,

“Wh… Why decorate with such a painting? Do you chain up your victims and suck their blood here?!”

Victor considers him, with one eyebrow raised. He counters,

“First of all, I mostly drink pig blood. I also have a doctor’s note, which states I have a medical condition requiring frequent blood transfusions. I rarely feed on humans directly.” Victor sits on the bed. “This room was used for filming pornography in the 1960s, though I’m not sure why my portrait ended up here…” Victor tilts his head, and admits, “There was a lot of drug use in those days.”

Then he says in a dreamy tone, “I had an memorable encounter with Rudolph Nureyev – I saw him dance at the War Memorial Opera House – hundreds of hippies were dancing outside during the performance...”

Victor gazes at his portrait, as if it’s just another interesting piece of art. Yuri gapes appalled, then runs as fast as he can back to his room.

Yuri throws himself on his bed, and buries his head in his pillow.

“Why the hell does he have a painting of himself _naked_? Some things just can’t be unseen,” mutters Yuri to himself, rubbing his eyes. Yuri tosses and turns for a bit, then places his right hand on his left shoulder and rubs it. He feels soothed and falls asleep.

After that, Yuri decides not to explore any more of the mansion, and keeps to his room. He doesn’t go down for dinner and Boris brings him a tray. More meat and potatoes. The most frustrating part is the way his electronics turn off at various times. At first he assumed it was Victor’s proximity, but it’s more random than that. Whenever Yuri types a paper, he obsessively hits the save button after every line.

The days go by. But something feels… off. The world outside has an unreal quality to it. He feels better inside the mansion. Yuri worries that Victor will kick him out, since Yuri isn’t honoring the deal to share dinner. A week later, there’s a knock on his door, and Yuri hears through the door,

“I’d appreciate if you joined me downstairs.”

Yuri hesitates. For some reason the goblet of blood freaks him out, although honestly, he doesn’t feel threatened by the actual vampire. He opens the door, nods, and follows him downstairs, tremulously. He sits down opposite Victor, feeling somewhat protected by the long table. Victor is rubbing his forehead like he’s upset, then confides,

“Yuri, I don’t enjoy blood. In fact, when I first turned, I was unable to swallow it so for weeks... I became quite feeble. It was like swallowing... mucus, with a metallic aftertaste.”

Yuri cringes, then exclaims,

“Eww! I thought vampires had a blood lust, and became like savage beasts.”

Victor tilts his head and responds,

“Sometimes that happens. And those violent stories have been propagated throughout history. People don’t share stories of vampires staying home, reading books.”

“There aren’t many human stories like that either. It’s all zombies and superheroes.”

Boris brings Yuri a plate of meat and potatoes, while Victor is given a glass of water.

“ _Bon appetit_!” Victor says earnestly. Yuri bites his lip, then asks,

“Where’s your... uh... red stuff?”

“I’ll drink my sustenance privately, so as not to upset you,” explains Victor. Yuri frowns, then says,

“Look... I’m not used to this... and I freaked. But go ahead. Otherwise, it feels even weirder, if that’s possible...”

Victor speaks to Boris in Russian, who brings a silver goblet.

“How is your meal?” inquires Victor. Yuri realizes Victor has chosen a non-translucent cup for his benefit.

“Fine. But uh... does Boris make anything besides meat and potatoes? A veggie once in a while?”

Victor looks pensive.

“I don’t think so. He buys potatoes in bulk, and a portion of meat at the Russian market every day. We can’t store much food with the interruptions in electricity.”

“Oh. I see. A carrot sure sounds yummy... when I earn some money, I’ll splurge at the farmer’s market.”

The rest of the evening improves, as they don’t discuss dating or blood. Victor inquires,

“How did you get interested in art?”

“Well... do you know about the internment camps for Japanese Americans?”

“A bit.”

“My grandmother met Ruth Asawa when she was interned at the Santa Anita racetrack. They slept in neighboring horse stalls. Later on, Ruth made wire sculptures based on natural objects she found. Grandma took me to her art shows, she said Ruth’s spirit was always free even when she was caged up.”

“So you were close to your grandmother?”

“Yeah. She never minded that I was scared of everything. She thought _yokai_ , spirits, existed. She made _omamori,_ amulets, to protect me.”

Yuri is surprised that he’s talking so openly to Victor, he isn’t sure why he’s so comfortable. He barely talks to people, not even his own family.

Yuri goes back to his routine of attending class, doing his homework, and dining with Victor. He wakes up in the morning, enjoying the comfortable mattress and the private room. Living in the dark cold mansion is much better than living in Brandon’s closet. It’s peaceful and quiet, and now the shadows seem less scary. The house still seems haunted though. Doors creak open, weird little sounds echo through the walls, and then there's the gusts of wind. He’s not sure what’s stranger: living with a magical vampire or… feeling it’s normal to live with a magical vampire. Actually, Victor said lots of people have magical powers. Who? What kind of spells are possible? Maybe Victor did some enchantment to make Yuri relax and put his guards down, in which case... it’s working.


	3. Who’s For Dinner?

A few weeks later, Victor inquires,

“I’m having a dinner party tonight, will you join us?”

Yuri nods, then scurries away. That evening, two men show up for dinner. A tall flamboyant redhead in a red sequined jacket and a stocky middle-aged man, balding, with glasses wearing a blue suit. Victor is wearing a black tuxedo dinner jacket. All three of them are wearing white gloves. Yuri had no idea people would dress up for this dinner, as he glances uneasily at his jeans and T-shirt. Victor announces,

“Oscar, Rufus, this is Yuri.”

The redhead takes one look at Yuri, and licks his lips. He comes forward and gushes,

“I’m Rufus. You’re a delicious little morsel! I’m fully at your service. Unless Victor is already entertaining you all… night… _long_?”

“I’m not a... I mean… I’m not... sorry!” whispers Yuri, quickly escaping to the other side of the room. Rufus shrugs, and saunters over to the settee. Victor hands him each of them a drink, then sits down. Rufus sits down on Victor’s lap and pouts,

“Victor, entertain me…”

Victor smiles indulgently, then whispers in Rufus’s ear. Several of the oil lamps flicker, and a few candles blow out. Rufus gets up and re-lights them, while Victor goes to the piano and recalls,

“I saw Billie Holiday at Cafe Society in the Fillmore before she was arrested. Her voice was fragile and raspy, incredibly mesmerizing.”

Victor plays a slow jazz piece, while Rufus lounges on the instrument, watching.

Yuri stares at the two of them, sips from his glass, then Rufus suggestively starts sucking on a finger. Yuri swallows wrong, coughs and snorts wine out his nose. He coughs more, as it burns his nasal passages. The doctor motions to sit down next to him.

“Oscar Deerhaven, I’m a physician of the mage world. I treat warlocks and witches for both physical and magical problems... are you all right?”

Yuri coughs and nods, realizing he’s still staring at Victor. He stutters,

“V...Victor... g... gay?”

Is he living with a gay vampire? Yuri feels his stomach turn at the thought. He’s not sure why... He’s never cared about people’s sexual preferences before...

“Yes. Victor tells me you’ve recently encountered the mage world, it must’ve been quite a shock,” remarks Oscar sympathetically. Yuri nods emphatically, then whispers nervously,

“Uh... Victor bit people... No one noticed...”

Oscar pulls off a glove and shows a ring, explaining,

“It’s a concealment ring. Most people from the mage realm wear them, otherwise the tabloids would constantly feature ‘ _Woman Gives Birth to Bat Baby’_ stories.”

“Invisible?” says Yuri in awe.

“Not quite, it makes the person seem unimportant, boring.”

Yuri glances over at Victor and Rufus, who are chatting and whispering in each other’s ears. At least now Rufus is sitting next to Victor, instead of on top of him. Yuri winces and rubs his shoulder. Oscar says solicitously,

“Shoulder injury?”

“I guess… I pulled something.”

“May I look at it?” inquires Oscar. Yuri pulls his T-shirt away from his neck, then Oscar palpates the area with his glove on.

“There’s nothing obviously wrong, but if you come to my office, I could do a more thorough examination.”

Yuri shakes his head and apologizes,

“Thanks but… I don’t have insurance.”

“There won’t be any charge. Victor has done me many favors, I’d be glad to do one in return,” replies Oscar, handing him a business card.

Oscar goes over to talk to Victor, so Rufus comes to sit by Yuri, who cringes. Rufus says flirtatiously,

“My adorable cupcake, take your entire shirt off, so I can examine you as well!”

Yuri shifts in on the sofa uncomfortably and looks away. Rufus continues,

“I don’t bite! I’m the queen of gossip – I was just sharing with Victor information about his attackers. The men have disappeared and no one knows why they attacked. Victor keeps to himself, he doesn’t have any enemies. Very puzzling! Are you Victor’s lover?”

Yuri shakes his head horrified and corrects him,

“I’m… I’m a lodger.”

“A lodger? How very odd! I’ve never heard of anybody staying at Chateau Creepy.”

Yuri stammers out an explanation,

“I… I lost my closet... I needed a floor... while I… I graduate... from art.”

“So you’re out of the closet now?”

Yuri blanches at the pun and quickly insists,

“Uh... no!”

Rufus chuckles, then yells,

“Victor! You need to modernize your decor – it’s a cliché from _Vampire Home Living Magazine_!”

Victor rolls his eyes, and continues to talk to Oscar. Yuri protests,

“No, it’s, uh, like a museum...”

Rufus counters,

“More like a mausoleum. Well, at least Victor had the place cleaned. For years, it’s been dirty and shut up like a haunted house.”

“Oh,” replies Yuri, realizing Rufus is correct. Yuri looks around and notices the dust from the first night is gone, the furniture and fixtures are gleaming. Rufus remarks,

“You must be special, Victor cut his hair and dressed up... It’s hard to press a suit with an old-fashioned iron!”

Yuri looks over again at Victor. The white hair is short, and looks super elegant. The vampire kind of glows by lamplight, maybe because he’s so pale. Rufus continues,

“Well no matter, Boris must’ve done it. That man may look like an old dockworker, but he’s got mad skills.”

Yuri nods.

“Do you have any powers?” asks Rufus.

“No, no!” insists Yuri.

“I’m a warlock, although with my flaming persona, I refer to myself as a Bitch Witch.”

Yuri looks at him with wide eyes. Rufus leans forward and expounds,

“You don’t know anything about the mage world?”

Yuri shakes his head.

“A complete neophyte, how thrilling! The most basic level of power is to have the sight, to see the magical effects of spells – lots of people have that. Next level is a psychic, the ability to communicate with ghosts and demons, and divination of the near future. Finally, a warlock or witch can manipulate energy, actively changing the world around them. It’s highly variable. Some people have only one talent, like healing, while others are extremely powerful.”

“Ah,” responds Yuri.

“Some old families have treasured spellbooks, but I’m from a small town. When I came out, they kicked me out. I came to the City, and here – we’re inventing our own traditions.”

“Oh.”

“Yep. I keep hoping Victor will fall madly in love with me and set me up in this huge mansion… He’s such a tragic romantic figure. Most vampires are consumed by wanting power, but Victor embraced the curse of the night for _love_!”

Yuri bites his lip and echoes,

“Love?”

Rufus whispers close to Yuri’s ear,

“Victor fell in love with an Arabian prince, and they ran away together. But the young gentleman developed a wasting disease, and even opium couldn’t take away the pain. Victor found out vampire bites have a numbing agent, and he tracked down several vampires to have them bite his ailing love. Eventually, he found a vampire willing to share the curse with him. Apparently it worked, Victor took care of his lover until he died, biting him whenever the pain became too much. He’s buried in the garden.”

Rufus gestures dramatically towards the window. Yuri stares at his own wrist, remembering how Victor had ever so slightly nipped his skin to calm him down. The thought of Victor’s mouth on his arm makes him squirm uncomfortably.

At the end of the evening, Oscar leaves with a polite bow, while Rufus wraps his arms around Victor, and says,

“I’m available tonight, if you’d like to take me upstairs…”

Yuri gapes at them, then bolts outside.

Yuri walks out into the street, not even looking for traffic. A car narrowly misses him, and he continues forward, half running, half walking. Some time later, the haze of emotions dissipates. He massages his left shoulder, and wonders where to go next. That night is extremely foggy, it’s hard to see anything more than a block away. Yuri doesn’t want to return to the mansion, so he continues to walk aimlessly. As he nears a dark alleyway, an arm grabs him, and pulls him into the darkness. Yuri freezes.

“Aaah! You scared me!” yelps Yuri, recognizing Victor. The vampire’s voice has an edge to it, as he demands,

“Why did you run off?”

“... Rufus... kind of gets on my nerves…” begins Yuri.

“So that was a display of jealousy?”

“Jealousy? I’m not… I wasn’t…” Yuri stammers, confused. He was upset, but he’s not really sure why. Now, he’s just embarrassed. Victor is standing really close, looking down at him, it's making him feel jittery, unsettled. Victor continues,

“Rufus is a dear friend, I won’t tolerate you treating him rudely.”

Yuri shrugs, reluctantly saying,

“Okay... sorry.”

Victor watches him closely and asks,

“You don’t like me dating Rufus?”

Yuri steps back and insists,

“You can date whoever you want… I don’t date. Never have. Maybe I was a bit envious, I’m always alone…”

Victor decides,

“Well then, ask someone on a date. You have one week.” Then Victor growls, “Now walk directly home, or I’ll be tempted to carry you back.”

Yuri gulps and walks back toward the mansion, feeling like a naughty child.

Once they reach the outside of the mansion, Victor stops. He looks around, and stares at some nearby bushes. Then he examines the exterior brick walls. Someone has tagged them with spray paint. Victor looks concerned, and paces along the front of the property several time muttering things.

“Are these gang tags?” asks Yuri. Victor shakes his head and explains,

“Someone is trying to break through my wards. Those symbols are assault spells.”

Yuri shudders at the thought, then asks,

“From the same guys who tried to kidnap you?”

“No. This feels different.”

The next day, Yuri goes to the ground floor, and opens two double stained glass doors that go to a small courtyard. He explores the garden. There are lots of different plants, growing wildly, but nothing that looks like a tomb, or a gravestone. Yuri returns inside, and looks around the house for intimate portraits, but doesn’t find any. Near dinnertime, Yuri notices a porcelain figurine of a man on a horse, wearing Turkish clothes. Yuri examines it closely, till he hears,

“A gift from Rufus. He has terrible taste.”

Yuri backs up guiltily, then admits,

“Oh. I thought it might have been your… your special person, the one who was painfully ill.”

Victor looks displeased at the reference.

“Rufus loves to tell ridiculous tales. Just to be clear, I didn’t become a vampire to save my lover from pain. And my lover wasn’t the Sultan of Istanbul or the Great Khan.”

Victor is criticizing Rufus? Did they have a fight? Yuri admits,

“An Arabian prince, buried in your garden. Then why did you become a vampire?”

“A stupid reason: I was afraid of dying. When my lover became ill, I became terrified. The idea of rotting in the earth…” Victor shudders. “So I cursed myself to drinking blood and living at night, to gain a long life. The thing about living a long time is… I’ve seen many people die.”

“You’re not immortal?”

“Heavens no! Vampires rarely live more than a few hundred years. However it’s common for a vampire to pass on his curse to another, and for that person to take on his name. Some vampire names have survived for a millennia.”

The next day, Yuri walks toward the Haight-Ashbury area, wondering whether to confide in his sister. It would be nice to discuss how weird his life is getting – but his sister already thinks he should be on medication. She’d probably recommend being locked up in an institution. Yuri looks up, and notices a metaphysical shop across the street, _Magick Shoppe_. He goes in and wanders around the books, crystals and tarot cards. The woman behind the counter looks unusual. She has a beautiful face, a bountiful shape, and looks of African descent. But she’s very pale, almost albino in her coloring, her frizzy hair long and white. As Yuri gets closer, her expression seems friendly and happy. She greets him,

“ _May I help you_?”

Yuri feels a small shiver down his spine. The words seem magical, like when Victor made his oath. Yuri pauses, feeling he should carefully consider his answer.

“Yes, please help me,” he replies.

“I’m Yolanda, nice to meet you,” she says putting out her hand, palm up.

“I’m Yuri,” he replies putting out his hand in the same way. She seems satisfied, and fetches two mugs, which she fills from a thermos with hot tea. They both stand, sipping the beverage. Yuri feels calm in her presence and takes a deep breath.

“Is it… dangerous to live with a vampire?” asks Yuri, realizing as the words leave his mouth, he has no idea if this woman knows about the mage world.

“Is this vampire drinking your blood?” inquires Yolanda, unsurprised by the question. Yuri heaves a sigh of relief.

“No.”

“I’ve heard that vampires are guarded and solitary, set in their ways. They depend on a large group of people to survive, or a large herd of cattle. The violent and vicious ones are soon hunted down and killed. Trust your instincts, I think they’re good.”

Yuri is relieved at the answer, and looks around, wishing he could afford to buy something.

“Oh... thanks so much,” he finally says, leaving the store.

After talking with Yolanda, Yuri feels more at ease. He calls his sister,

“Hey...”

“Yuri! Where’ve you been? I stopped by your house and they said you’d moved out.”

“I found a room on Webster Street...”

“Pacific Heights?! You can’t afford that area... Are you selling drugs or something?”

“Uh, no, it’s just a room… uh, really affordable. The owner is... an old weirdo, collects old stuff, antiques – it’s cool, though.”

“Great, Yuri! I’ll try to visit you soon. Text me your new address. Later!”

On the way home, Yuri gets a message saying Thorgi the corgi needs walking, and Yuri smiles, happy to get work again. Yuri fetches the dog and walks to the park. Once there, a tall blond guy in faded army khakis comes over. The guy squats next to the fat corgi and pats the dog sides. Oddly, Thorgi freaks out and runs between Yuri’s legs. Yuri untangles the leash, then strokes the dog’s head soothingly.

“Very fat,” comments the guy. Yuri nods and replies,

“Yeah.”

“There are lots of those plump gray birds... Are they good to eat?”

“Pigeons? Oh, ick, they eat a lot of trash... I wouldn’t eat them.” Then he realizes the blond is looking at the corgi. “Oh! You think the dog is eating the pigeons? No no, he gets deluxe liver _pâté_ from his owners.”

Yuri examines the guy a moment, surprised that he’s able to chat with a stranger. Yuri waves and says,

“Gotta go. See ya.”

The blond looks at him a bit puzzled and replies,

“I see you too.”

Yuri frets about Victor’s date requirement all week. He examines the students around him in class, but doesn’t dare talk to anyone, let alone ask anyone out. Saturday night, Victor drinks his usual glass of blood, while Yuri eats his meat and potatoes dinner. Yuri avoids the date topic and asks,

“What do you do at night? Do you work?”

“I own several properties. A real estate company manages the rentals, and provides me an ample income. I also own an antique shop, where Rufus works during the day.”

“Rufus likes antiques?”

Victor smiles wryly and replies,

“Rufus adores loud and funky things from the sixties and seventies, I prefer Art Deco woodwork.”

“I prefer your tastes,” begins Yuri, suddenly wondering whether Victor would like the taste of Yuri’s blood. Does Yuri look like a giant juice box? Victor interrupts his thoughts and says,

“It’s been a week, I’m hoping you’ll report on your date. Did you ask a guy out?”

Yuri looks down quickly, suddenly very uncomfortable. He whispers,

“Victor, you know I’m not… gay?”

“You desire women?” inquires Victor, a bit surprised. Yuri hesitates, then replies,

“Uh, actually, I don’t _desire_ anyone. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, but I’ve always been like this.” Yuri shrugs in a disappointed way. “I never understood what all the fuss was about.”

“Then I would describe your situation as… low libido. Have you been checked out by a doctor?” responds Victor. Yuri shakes his head and mumbles,

“No, I don’t feel sick.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Victor replies reassuringly. Yuri is relieved at having told his secret, but he doesn’t want to tell a doctor… Victor gets up and says,

“Thank you for eating dinner in my company. Good night.”

Yuri gets up as well, disturbed by the sudden departure. Victor takes a few steps down the stairs towards his bedroom and Yuri cries,

“Wait! What about that date requirement?”

Victor tilts his head, pensively.

“I won’t require something that goes against your nature, your well-being. I misconstrued your feelings, that’s all.”

“Oh... Thanks. You’ve given me a place to stay, food to eat, you’re even teaching me about art and antiques. But you didn’t need to, and… uh, I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

Yuri reaches over to give Victor a handshake, then instead awkwardly kisses Victor’s cheek. Victor gives a small smile, then continues downward, while Yuri knees buckle, then he collapses to the ground. Victor turns back around and places his hand under Yuri’s head, just before it hits the ground.

“What happened? Are you all right?” demands Victor. Lying on the ground, Victor’s face is barely an inch away, Yuri stares at amazing blue eyes, mesmerized.... The face is so beautiful it doesn’t seem real... What would it feel like to touch it? Victor caresses Yuri’s hair, and it feels nice, then he hears himself say,

“Kiss me.”

Victor shakes his head, and Yuri insists,

“ _Please._ ”

That last word has an effect on Victor. Victor hesitates, then tentatively places his lips on Yuri’s. Victor’s mouth is warm, and moist, soft… it feels good... Victor stops.

“Yuri… This isn’t what you want, foolish boy…”

Yuri doesn’t agree, and whimpers pleadingly. Victor responds by opening Yuri's mouth, and sucking on his tongue. Little tremors, start at the base of Yuri’s spine, and spread slowly to his back, arms, his chest, then down his legs. Then an ache, a need takes hold of him, and he clutches Victor’s arms. He has no idea how long they stay on the ground, Victor half on top of him, kissing. He hears Victor’s voice say,

“That’s enough for now.”

Yuri notices that Victor’s eyes are fiery red, not blue.

“I’m burning…” groans Yuri, and Victor puts his hand on Yuri’s forehead. Victor puts his arms around Yuri’s back at his legs, and picks him up. He goes up the stairs quickly, placing Yuri on his mattress on the floor. Then he makes a call.

Yuri lies in bed, writhing in need. It’s like a fever, every inch of skin needs to be stroked and he finds himself rubbing against the mattress beneath him. At one point, he hears the calm voice of Oscar Deerhaven say,

“Mmmm... he’s reacting as if he overdosed on a passion philter, there appears to be a magical component to his distress. This boy may have a rough time of it… I’ve given him a sedative, he will rest. Be careful, Victor, he may imprint on you.”

“I’m trying to avoid that, but I can’t force him on someone else…”

A breeze blows through the house, and several doors slam shut. Then the room goes dark.


	4. I Kissed a Boy

Yuri wakes up in darkness with his clothes damp with sweat, and his sheets as well. Yuri changes into some fresh clothes, pours himself a glass of water and downs it in one gulp. He grabs his bag, and runs out of the house. At first, he’s not sure where to go, then he remembers the metaphysical shop.

He walks in, sees Yolanda behind the counter, and asks,

“Is there… Are there side effects to a vampire’s kiss?”

Yolanda nods, and grabs a thick volume which resembles an old encyclopedia.

“You should read this… Vampire spit is like a drug…” begins Yolanda. Yuri interrupts,

“I knew it! It’s his fault!” yells Yuri, grabbing the book. He bolts out of the shop, then runs all the way to Victor’s house, heaving and panting from the exertion. He bursts through the front door,

“Victor Nikiforov! You owe me an explanation!”

Victor walks into the atrium, and says with relief,

“There you are! An explanation on what subject?”

Yuri comes up to him, then nervously backs away a few paces. He accuses him,

“You drugged me, with your mouth, I mean your spit! You know, inserting a magical fever with your vampire mouth!”

Victor taps his lips with his finger, and replies,

“That wasn’t a magical fever. You were experiencing desire.”

“A desire for what?!”

“Sex.”

“Sex?” repeats Yuri in disbelief. He never understood why people wanted to get naked and rub each other. Yuri stands there defiantly, and adds,

“But you’re bound to protect me!”

Victor tilts his head and lectures,

“First of all, my saliva does not contain any aphrodisiac. And second of all, putting you in an amorous frame of mind is not a threat to your life or health. Physical release is a positive activity, unless you’re bound by a vow of celibacy.”

Yuri wants to argue more, but doesn’t know what to say. He notices the big book in his hand, then runs upstairs to his room.

Yuri opens it up directly to the page that says ‘ _Vampire’s Kiss’_ , and reads aloud,

“ _Hematophagy... the morphology of the_ _salivary glands... The histology_ _blah blah blah..._ _anticoagulants…_ _The active ingredients_ _can produce a narcotic and amnesiac effect in order to aid feeding_ …”

Yuri re-reads the passage several times. Narcotic and amnesiac effect. Narcotic means to dull the senses, relieve pain, and induce sleep, while amnesiac means it affects memory. There doesn’t appear to be any problem with his memories, and the kissing didn’t dull his senses. What the hell is going on? He continues reading, learning about the anatomy of vampires. The book is horribly boring, it reminds him of a college textbook.

The next day, Yuri returns the book to the metaphysical shop.

“I’m sorry for taking your book, I wasn’t thinking too clearly,” offers Yuri sheepishly. Yolanda nods understandingly.

“Your vampire drank your blood?”

Yuri shakes his head.

“No. He… He kissed me. Actually, I kind of begged him to... I thought he was drugging me with his saliva.”

Yolanda gives him an amused look and explains,

“Yuri… the ‘ _Vampire’s Kiss_ ’ refers to being bitten by a vampire, to having your blood drained. It doesn’t refer to _actual_ kissing.”

Yolanda hands him a book with the title _Vampires for Dum-dums_ by Toothy Demon.

“Is this a joke?” questions Yuri. Yolanda shakes her head and responds,

“Hex Press publishes books for the mage world. They’re not too worried about copyrights. It’s a bit silly and simplistic, but it’ll give you the basics.”

Yuri feels his cheeks burn as he leaves the shop, embarrassed at having acted stupidly. It seems Victor was correct, Yuri was not burning because of Victor’s saliva.

“So what happened? Why did I kiss Victor? He’s a guy! Oh no, the stress is killing me,” mutters Yuri to himself, holding his stomach.

Yuri remembers Doctor Deerhaven’s business card, and finds the medical office not far from Victor’s mansion. There’s a small waiting room with a few chairs. The walls are covered with old black and white photos of the Golden Gate Bridge being built. The doctor shows up and says,

“Come to the examination room.”

“I have a rather embarrassing problem. I kissed… a vampire, and I became… feverish? Did I catch some kind of vampire flu?” Yuri blurts out. Then he stares at the ground, realizing it’s probably obvious which vampire he’s talking about... For a moment, Yuri is tempted to make up a story about meeting a _Derek Ula_ at a Goth club. The doctor writes some notes in a file folder, then asks,

“Yuri, I was called in that night. Do you remember my presence?”

Yuri frowns and rubs his head. Then he replies,

“Sort of, it’s all hazy.”

“Yuri, you’re welcome in my office anytime, for medical advice or simply to ask questions. I’ll always answer truthfully. But I have to disclose that Victor is my patron. My grandfather treated Victor when he was first cursed with vampirism, and Victor supports my practice financially. So I’ll be reporting your health information to him. Is that acceptable?”

“Uh, I guess so. Yeah.”

“Yuri, would you remove your T-shirt? I’d like to re-examine that shoulder you were complaining about.”

Yuri removes his shirt, and the doctor waves a crystal over his shoulder. The doctor makes the sound,

“Mmmm...”

Then his shoulder begins to burn.

“Ow!” yelps Yuri in pain. The doctor draws on a pad of paper, then shows Yuri the drawing. Yuri exclaims,

“What is that?!”

“A sigil. It’s a type of magical spell. The circle and each line represent a portion of the spell. This one is complex.”

“Victor put a magic spell on me?” squeaks Yuri in a tiny voice. The doctor replies,

“I don’t know who did this. It’s advanced magic, and it would’ve taken a long time, maybe a year, to complete such a spell.”

The doctor looks up some information in an encyclopedia. Yuri protests,

“But I don’t remember anyone doing spells on me...”

“Someone could have done it while you were sleeping or... have erased your memory.”

“Oh no, that’s so creepy – I’m never gonna sleep again!” wails Yuri. The doctor jots down some things, then consults more old books. Then he explains, pointing to the paper,

“These lines have to do with immaturity, these with holding back, and that line there, represents a penis.”

“Someone cursed me with a small penis? But... why?!” questions Yuri, his eyes wide. But Doctor shakes his head and corrects him,

“No, no. Someone took away your sexual puberty. Your desire for sex.”

Yuri protests,

“But... but online says lots of people are asexual… It’s normal!”

“That’s true, but asexual people don’t suddenly become very aroused like you did from a brief contact. Are you experiencing any other symptoms?”

“Um... I don’t think so... so… if this spell is broken, I’ll want to have sex?” clarifies Yuri incredulously.

“The spell is weak, it appears to be fading. My powers deal with healing, you should consult a witch or warlock specializing in counter spells for more information.” The doctor hesitates, then adds, “For teenagers, the desire for sex can be overwhelming. It might become even more so for you, like a dam that’s been holding too much water suddenly breaking. You might want to find yourself a sex partner.”

The doctor hands him a pile of condoms. Yuri stares at the packets incredulously, then quickly stuffs them in his backpack. He gets up to leave, then reluctantly asks,

“Could I… Could I get so horny that it doesn’t matter who I’m with?”

“Yes. And I have to caution you, kissing a vampire can lead to being bitten. Physical hunger and sexual hunger can be conflated by them.”

“No... I mean, could I normally like girls, but be so horny, that I do something with a _guy?_ ”

The doctor reflects for a moment, then answers,

“Yuri, are you worried you might be gay?”

Yuri waves his hands helplessly and admits,

“Look, I don’t care if other people are gay, it’s just... I don’t wanna be.”

The doctor nods and reassures him,

“Relax, let yourself explore. There’s no shame in being gay, bisexual, or anything in between. But just because you enjoyed kissing one guy, doesn’t mean you’ll want to engage in full sexual activity with a man.”

Yuri walks down the street in a daze, wondering where to go next.

“Maybe I’m not gay, maybe... I’m just a bisexual kisser. I should watch porn. I mean, I’ve tried before, but it’s gross… Lady porn. Porn with ladies,” Yuri mutters to himself, then stops as he sees a woman cross the street to avoid him. He stops at a coffee house, and hunts around his pocket for loose change. He glances around the crowd of people and suddenly feels uncomfortable. Several women are looking at other people with sexually charged looks. And there are two men in a corner who are kissing. One of them has his hand under the table doing some kind of rubbing motion. Freaked out, Yuri hurries out the cafe. But the same problem affects the people in the streets. Lots of couples are making out on benches, and in doorways. The whole city is horny! Yuri runs to the mansion and hides in his bedroom.

Once darkness falls, there’s a knock at the door.

“Yuri? Are you all right?” says Victor’s voice through the door.

“I’m tired – I’m taking a nap,” calls out Yuri, hoping to be left alone. There’s a silence, then Victor says,

“You can trust me. Open the door.”

Yuri lies on the bed a while, then gets up slowly, and opens the door. Victor walks in, and stands there, waiting. Finally Yuri mumbles,

“Sorry. I don’t know why I kissed you, I wasn’t thinking… straight.”

Yuri cringes at the pun. Victor raises an eyebrow and admits,

“I talked to Oscar. He told me about finding the spell on your shoulder.”

“Could the doctor be wrong? Why would somebody have bothered to… neuter me?”

“Yuri, do your parents have powers?”

“Uh no… I don’t think so… how would I know?”

“You might have noticed odd lights, or strange words. But it could be something subtle… always knowing when you’ve missed school, or answering the phone before it rings.”

“I don’t remember anything like that. My mother always knew I’d eaten cookies, but she could probably see all the crumbs I left in my room.”

“The reason I ask is… warlocks are not born with their powers. It would be dangerous for a little baby to control the world around him with its cries. Most warlocks gain their powers during puberty, a magical awakening along with a sexual awakening.”

“So you think someone took away my desires… to keep me from using magical powers?”

“Exactly.”

“But I’m not some kind of sorcerer! The only special thing about me is... my anxiety attacks.”

“Perhaps you suffer from anxiety because you sense dangers others don’t...”

Yuri shakes his head emphatically.

“I don’t have any powers. Definitely.”

Victor stands there pensively, when Boris knocks on the door and announces,

“Mari Katsuki is here.”

Yuri turns to Victor apologetically, explaining,

“She’s my sister. I just gave her the address in case of emergency – I didn’t invite her!”

“She may come in briefly,” replies Victor. Yuri runs down the staircase, and gives his sister an awkward wave hello. Mari looks around with complete astonishment.

“Whoa. Reminds me of haunted house. Cool. Where’s the old weirdo?”

Victor comes forward with an outstretched hand,

“Victor Nikiforov, the old... _eccentric_.”

Mari grabs his hand for a second and whistles.

“You’re hot…” she begins. Yuri interrupts her,

“This is Victor, my uh, landlord. My sister, Mari, she wants to check on me, um... I’ll give her a tour.”

He grabs her hand and drags her upstairs. Mari sticks her head in various doorways as they walk.

“Yuri, what’s going on? You’re acting really weird, even weirder than usual.”

“This guy, Victor, he’s… different. Can I show you?”

Yuri pulls her down the hall to the giant bedroom. He opens the door, and waits for Mari’s reaction.

“Well?” he demands expectantly.

“It’s a huge bed, and that’s a huge painting of your landlord guy. Not my thing, but…”

“But what about the chains and the red walls…” begins Yuri, entering the room. The fourposter bed is the same size, but is now made out of wood. There are no chains, or weird shackles attached to the bed. The walls appeared to be a cream color, rather bland. Yuri examines the walls, wondering if Victor has had them recently painted. The paint job seems old, scratched and chipped in places. The bed appears to have been there for a while, there’s a thick layer of dust underneath it.

“I don’t get it,” Yuri says, finally daring to glimpse at the portrait on the wall. Victor is lounging on a settee, wearing a robe. Yuri frowns, and lightly touches the paint to see if it’s dry.

“Are you sleeping with him? Is this some kind of sex for lodging barter?” asks Mari.

“Nope,” responds Yuri, wondering what’s going on. Hallucinations? Great. Now he doesn’t know if he’s being cursed, or having a breakdown. He hides his face in his hands.

“Can I move in? Let’s go ask him,” insists Mari, heading back downstairs. Yuri follows her down the staircase, still confused. Mari yells,

“Victor! Would you rent me a room? I’m clean and never home.”

Victor replies,

“I’m sorry, but I enjoy my solitude. You may come to dinner some evening though,” replies Victor, gallantly kissing her hand. Then Victor sniffs the inner part of her wrists, and smiles like he’s pleased with the scent. Yuri cuts in between the two of them, saying,

“You can’t have her for dinner, uh, over for dinner, I mean, she drinks too much – she’s a singer... uh, with her band, she can’t come over...”

Mari gives an annoyed look at her brother, and grabs her bag, complaining,

“Okay, okay, I’m leaving. I can take a hint. Just call mom soon, she’s been on my case.”

Mari leaves in a huff, slamming the door behind her.

Yuri sits down in the nearest chair, rubbing his forehead. The blue-and-white tureen is on the buffet table next to him. He opens the lid and looks inside.

“Victor? What happened to the painting inside? It’s all white!”

Victor hesitates, then explains,

“For regular people, the inside is white. For those with magical powers, the art inside can be seen.”

Yuri blinks repeatedly, processing the words.

“What about… What about that sex room upstairs? Does it change how it looks?”

Victor replies,

“Regular people see a wooden fourposter bed, and a painting of me lounging in a dressing gown. Why? What did you see?”

Yuri admits reluctantly,

“The room was red, and there were chains and _shackles..._ and you were very _naked_ in that painting…”

Victor laughs. Then with a smile, he explains,

“I thought you had the sight, maybe a bit of psychic power. I was surprised at how well you could see inside the tureen. But I warded that room, you shouldn’t have seen that spell... No wonder you looked shocked!”

“No way, I’ve never had any special powers before… Doctor Deerhaven said I should consult a warlock to get a... a counterspell,” says Yuri. “What do you think?”

“May I see the sigil on your shoulder?” inquires Victor. Yuri agrees, but shifts nervously as he pulls his T-shirt to the side. Victor doesn’t use a crystal, he places a bare hand above the area, and Yuri feels a burning warmth. The sigil appears again, electric blue. Victor declares,

“You don’t need a warlock. You need to have sex. Are you a virgin?”

Yuri feels his face burn and pulls away, covering his shoulder.

“That’s messed up! I don’t want sex, but I should have sex, in order to want sex?”

“Yes. The spell on your shoulder is alternating between weak and strong, sexual activity should eliminate it entirely.”

“Is that why sometimes I can see weird things, while other times everything is... normal?”

Victor nods and offers,

“May I try an experiment? The presence of your sister may have shut down your magical powers. I’d like to… turn them on again.”

Yuri frowns. Victor gets very close to him and tilts his chin up, and asks,

“May I kiss you?”

Yuri feels Victor’s hand slowly caress his throat, then his chin, then lets his finger wander on the edge of Yuri’s lips.

“As an experiment,” squeaks Yuri, suddenly weak in the knees. Victor kisses him softly, and almost instantly Yuri’s body is engulfed in a pleasurable burning sensation. Yuri moans. This feels oddly good... Victor pulls away, and picks up the lid of the tureen. Yuri squints for a moment, then gasps, as the inside image reappears.

“I can see it again! But… you have magical powers. Maybe I see things when I’m near you.”

“Your attraction to me awakens your power, but I’m not the source of it.”

Yuri shakes his head,

“I’m not… I can’t be…” protests Yuri, struggling with the concept. Victor looks at him dubiously. Yuri insists, “There must be some other explanation, I’m not a gay sorcerer! Maybe I’ve been stabbed by a unicorn… or an elf is tricking me!”

Victor chuckles and whispers next to Yuri’s ear,

“Unicorns and elves don’t exist.”

Yuri blinks a few times blankly, then returns in a daze to his room.


	5. Meet The Meat

The following night, Yuri decides to prove Victor wrong. It’s an unusually cold night, so Yuri puts on a sweater and some gloves. He takes a Muni bus towards the Castro, the gay center of San Francisco. The area is hopping, lots of men with men, arm in arm, are walking the streets. Yuri considers the different clubs dubiously, then picks one at random: the Meet Market. Young men in skintight outfits are gyrating to a pounding techno beat. There’s a small raised platform on one side. A muscular blonde guy wearing a G-string and a Russian army cap is bumping and grinding on a pole. The guy blows him a kiss, then flashes a wicked smile.

“Yuck!” exclaims Yuri, quickly turning back towards the exit. The guy jumps down and waves toward the bar. He says,

“How is the fat dog?”

“Huh? Oh...” Yuri frowns, then recalls. It’s the guy from the park! Pigeon guy. “Fine. You’re a... uh, a good dancer.”

“I know. You want a fuck partner?”

The guy gets very close, breathing down his neck. Yuri protests uncomfortably,

“No! I... I’m here to check my... orientation.”

The guy backs away quickly, and replies,

“Go outside. Right on Castro Street is north, left is south.”

Yuri giggles, though Pigeon guy seems serious. The guy waves and returns to his platform.

Yuri leaves, but in his haste, he bumps into someone.

“Cupcake! What’s your cute behind doing in a place like this?” asks Rufus. Yuri stares at him. Rufus has bleached yellow hair with dark roots. Yuri replies,

“You dyed your hair blonde? It was red before...”

Rufus shakes his head in distaste,

“Red? Nope, I’ve been canary yellow for months! Wait, you saw my hair as red? Mmm, interesting,” remarks Rufus. “I thought you were some normal kid who ran into a vampire.”

Yuri slumps and moans,

“I don’t know... Victor thinks I’m a closeted warlock.”

“Closeted, definitely,” replies Rufus with an impish smile. “Come this way,” Rufus pulls him into the alley next to the club. Yuri follows reluctantly and whines,

“Why do you and Victor keep assuming I’m gay?”

Rufus shrugs and says,

“Wishful thinking? Anyway, I’m not hitting on you. Watch my hair.”

Yuri examines the bright yellow spiked hair. Suddenly, the hair appears to undulate, becoming red flames. Yuri’s mouth drops open. Rufus explains,

“Rufus means red haired. You have the sight. Maybe other powers as well – who knows?”

Yuri returns to the mansion, and notices it’s warm and toasty inside. It’s unusual for Victor to heat the house, since it involves burning lots of wood. He hears the sound of music and follows it to the ballroom. Victor is gliding around the floor with an invisible partner. Yuri admires him for a while, the man moves with grace and elegance. The blond hair is cascading down the back in a lovely way, much longer than not long ago... wow, his hair grows fast! Yuri realizes Victor is looking a him, so he informs him,

“Victor, I went to a club of horny gay males, and I was _not_ interested. And my sight shut down. I couldn’t even see Rufus’s red hair at first.” Yuri looks around the ballroom, “What are you doing? Dancing with a ghost?”

Victor stops next to Yuri.

“My partner is purely imaginary. I dance to stay in shape. Would you like to waltz?”

Yuri shrugs and hedges,

“Uh, I don’t know how…”

Victor puts Yuri’s left hand on his shoulder, and supports Yuri’s right arm with a wrist underneath Yuri’s wrist.

“Aren’t we supposed to be holding hands, palm to palm? That’s the way people dance on TV,” remarks Yuri, uncomfortable in the position.

“The palm of a warlock is a place of concentrated power. I don’t recommend placing your palm on bare skin, or letting anyone do the same to you,” lectures Victor. Yuri frowns, noticing that Victor isn’t wearing gloves. He always wears gloves. And so do Oscar and Rufus. He also remembers Yolanda offering her palm upwards. The waltz is playing from an old gramophone, the sound is crackly. Victor pushes and pulls Yuri in a circular motion, Yuri follows awkwardly, then steps on Victor’s foot.

“Sorry, my body just feels… off,” apologizes Yuri.

“Just sway back and forth with me, don’t worry about the steps. Yuri, normally puberty happens through a period of years. Give yourself time to adjust.”

“M'kay,” replies Yuri, unconvinced.

“You didn’t like the handsome men on the dance floor? What about women?”

Yuri shrugs and admits,

“None of that feels right... I like the idea of going back in time, and being treated with etiquette and stuff. Wasn’t courtship about glances and conversation?”

“Sometimes. Are you asking me to court you?”

Yuri shakes his head vigorously.

“Oh no! I don’t know why I acted so weird with you… And I can’t imagine… getting naked with someone…”

“Yuri, why don’t you ask a girl out? It doesn’t need to be someone perfect, or who you know very well. Take her out for coffee, ask some questions.”

“Victor, I told you... I’ve never been on a date. I don’t actually talk to humans very much. It’s surprising that… I’ve been talking so much with you.”

“There is no certainty in courtship. It’s just two people, getting to know one another.”

Victor takes Yuri’s hand and strokes the inside of the wrist. Then he delicately kisses the same spot, keeping his eyes on Yuri’s expression. Yuri’s pupils flash red for a moment, then black. Victor smiles, then dips Yuri over to one side. Yuri’s eyes go wide, then he blushes. Yuri blurts out,

“I should go… thanks for the dance.”

Yuri returns to his room, holding his wrist like he’s been burned. Victor seems attracted to that spot. Both times, he nipped him there. Isn’t that where doctors take a pulse? Yuri opens the _Vampire for Dum-dums_ book and begins to read. By the time he’s done, he can see the light of dawn through his window shades. He yawns and falls asleep. Later that morning, Yuri puts on his old gloves before going outside. It reduces the strange experiences he’s been having. Yuri spends the next few days concentrating on his homework. Midterms are upon him and he passes all his tests, just barely. He’s glad to fill out paperwork to graduate from his department. He hasn’t seen Victor in days. He glances over at the _Dum-dums_ book and wonders where the vampire has been. Victor must have somewhere else to go besides the crypt downstairs to avoid daylight.

The next day, Yuri stops at the _Magic Shoppe_ , and searches for gloves. There’s a whole rack of gloves right behind the counter. Strange. That wasn’t there before... Yolanda comes out and lays out several pairs of gloves on the counter for him.

“Hello, Yuri! These are all natural fibers and help block stray thoughts of uncontrolled magic users. Leather gloves are the most effective, but they’re the most expensive… Fingerless gloves are useful for doing day-to-day tasks…”

Yuri giggles, then answers,

“It must be easy to do business when you psychically know what your customer wants!”

Yolanda grins, then adds,

“Yes… If only knowing what my spouse wants were so easy…”

Yuri tries on several pairs, trying to decide. Yolanda recounts,

“In the old days, everyone wore gloves. I always figured magic users in high society were the cause of that trend.”

“I’ll buy these leather ones, and a fingerless pair… I’ll be broke for a while.”

Yuri leaves the store, saying to himself,

“All this time I thought I needed medication, I just needed to cover my hands!”

In class the next day, Yuri checks out the other students, wondering if he should ask someone out. Who is more attractive, the guys or the girls? Or maybe that cute student upfront? Yet they all seem the same somehow. Then the guy next to him pokes them with his elbow, and whispers,

“Get a load of that babe. A goddess-whore. Can you believe she wears that in public?”

Yuri observes the young woman, wearing a full length red dress with long sleeves, and showing a lot of cleavage. The lower part has high slits, revealing bare legs. Her long hair is held back by a silver crown-like thingy, and she’s wearing suede boots.

“Why are you calling her a whore? Isn’t that like… punishing women for their sexuality?” responds Yuri, repeating something his sister says.

“Oh, I didn’t make that up. She did. She calls herself a sacred prostitute or something. She has sex in order to worship a horny god? It’s whacked! Although I guess it beats going to church…” replies the guy with a cackle. Yuri gets up, walks up to the woman, and says,

“I’m going to get coffee. I thought you might like to get coffee, and a coffee place would be a great place to get… coffee.”

The young woman observes him through her purple mascara, then responds,

“No thanks, but I have time for a quick make out session. Would you like to feel my breasts?”

Yuri shakes his head.

“I was just hoping to chat. But... uh, your chest looks... large. And firm! Perfect boob density, I’m sure.”

Yuri walks off quickly, then turns around the side of the building, and hides his head in his hands.

“Oooh no! I can’t believe I said that, I’ll never talk to anyone again,” he moans to himself.

Back in his room, Yuri turns on his phone. It’s still daytime. With Victor asleep, the electronics should function. He downloads an app on his phone to monitor his heart rate. He looks at photos of naked women.

“ _Your cardiovascular rate is withing normal ranges,”_ says the robot voice of his phone app. Naked pictures of men increases his heart rate a little bit, but he can barely look at men penetrating men. Then he tries men penetrating women. He mutters,

“Ugh, humans are gross.”

Yuri shuts the laptop and sighs. There’s a knock at the door. Victor opens it wearing only a bath robe, looking like he’s just woken up. He asks apologetically,

“Would you do me a favor tomorrow during the day? Boris is taking a personal day, and I need…”

Yuri feels his heart leap out of his chest, and his phone says in a monotone,

“ _Your cardiovascular rate is too high. Please seek medical attention. Your cardiovascular rate is_ …”

Yuri pounds on the phone, trying to quiet it. The one time his phone doesn’t shut down in Victor’s presence! Victor comes close, looking concerned. His robe gapes open, showing a pale chest. Yuri babbles nervously,

“I was just... exercising, then testing my heart rate, I’ll stop it, the exercising, I mean...”

Victor places a finger on Yuri’s wrist, on the pulse point.

“I agree with your phone, your heart is racing! You should lie down,” suggests Victor. Yuri nods, feeling his pulse get more erratic with Victor’s touch. Now he’s imagining Victor’s mouth sucking on his wrists… What he really needs is for Victor to leave the room. Close his robe. And not touch him. Yuri babbles,

“I’ll lie, uh, low, lay down, I swear! Just give me a moment. Alone, all alone.”

Victor hesitates, then nods and leaves. Yuri tells himself unconvincingly,

“I was startled... surprised... people’s heart rates go up when they’re surprised.”

Yuri waits for sunrise the next day, then tiptoes over to the ‘sex room’. The room is in its drab mode, with cream walls and a regular bed. Yuri sticks his finger on the phone camera, then opens his eyes and looks at the painting of Victor. His pulse goes up a little bit, then Yuri closes his eyes, and imagines Victor’s painting becoming the naked version. Yuri slowly opens one eye, and now the room appears red, and Victor’s form is reclining on the settee without any clothes. Yuri approaches the painting, and traces the body on the canvas.

“Wow. He has perfect proportions, smooth skin, and such a sensual look on his face…”

“ _Your cardiovascular rate is too high. Please seek medical_ …” Yuri turns off his phone. He looks again at the painting then mutters, “Face it, Yuri. The only person you have the hots for is a man!”

Yuri hides out in the university library most of the day, once in a while taking another online quiz ‘ _Am I gay?_ ’ Yet none of the answers feel right. He examines the photo of Victor’s portrait. He’s not ready for sex, yet he stares at the image dozens of times. Maybe he’s just attracted to vampires.

A few days later, Yuri notices a voicemail from his mother. Then he sees a post on social media from his sister wishing him a happy birthday. It’s November 29th already? That night, Yuri comes down for dinner and discovers the table is decorated with white linen, flowers, two candelabras, and a blue and white porcelain place settings. The side table is full of different dishes, and Victor’s liquid dinner has been poured in a gold goblet. Yuri sits down, and asks,

“What’s the occasion?”

Victor smiles,

“We are celebrating the day of your birth. A momentous and magical time.”

Yuri looks at all the food – sees no meat and potatoes – and grins. He warns playfully,

“There’d better be cake, that’s the best part!”

Yuri tastes a little bit of several dishes, then digs into a clam chowder in a bread bowl. He exclaims between bites,

“This is antique Meissen porcelain!” Yuri checks under a bowl. “There’s the crossed sword emblems... it’s the infamous blue onion pattern, it’s been copied a lot...”

Yuri stops, embarrassed. Victor smiles and responds,

“Glad you like it. How did your exams go?”

Yuri grimaces and admits,

“I was hoping to do better, but at least I’ll graduate. I should tell my mom what I’m studying – but I hate confrontations.”

“You’ve no problem with confrontations, I’ve seen you clash with people. So what are you truly apprehensive about?”

Yuri frowns, surprised at Victor’s words.

“I don’t know. My mother will ask questions, and… I freak out just thinking about it.”

“You’re feeling anxious about the future? Making decisions about employment?”

Yuri shakes his head. He closes his eyes, and takes a jagged breath.

“No, it’s the major itself. How I chose it.”

Victor waits quietly for a minute. Yuri bites his lip and continues,

“I was filling out my application for the university, and my mother kept insisting I put accounting. It was late at night, and I had to mail my application the next day, to meet the admission deadline. I didn’t fill out a major. I thought the form was going to be returned to me as incomplete. Instead I was accepted to the art history program. The codes aren’t similar. So what happened? How did art history end up on my form?”

Victor looks puzzled. He states,

“It wasn’t a dire problem. Once you were admitted to the university, you could have applied for a change of major.”

Yuri purses his lips, then confesses,

“I had planned to do that. But I had an anxiety attack every time I tried to fill out the form. As long as I went forward with the major, I felt fine. When I deviated, I felt bad.”

“But don’t you enjoy art history? Perhaps it was your unconscious expressing itself, a way of following your passion for art.”

“That would make sense if I'd liked my classes. But several of my professors were awful and I hated it at first. It’s been growing on me, though, that’s true.”

“Are there other areas of your life that you feel… controlled, or directed in?”

Yuri reflects for a moment, and realizes there is. Where Victor is concerned, it has the same quality. Yuri feels himself drawn towards Victor, but why? Normally, he wouldn’t have moved in with a total stranger, let alone a vampire. And he’s been telling Victor all his secrets, even though Victor rarely shares anything of himself.

“I need… I need to think about that.”

“Of course. I have an offer for you, but don’t feel obligated to accept.” Victor hands Yuri a leather bound ledger. “I need help with my antique business, I’d like you to catalog the items in the basement. I’d also like you to train with Rufus at the store. Currently he closes shop whenever he’s unable to work.”

Yuri examines the ledger and replies,

“Wouldn’t this be better on a spreadsheet? Then we could search by date, or maker, or type of item?”

Victor smiles wryly.

“I won’t be able to operate the technology, so it needs to be printed,” warns Victor. Yuri nods, gives Victor a big smile, and sets the ledger down.

Yuri eats a few more bites, then feeling stuffed, sits back in his chair. There’s still lots of food on the table.

“What is Boris gonna do with the rest?”

“He’ll make package dinners, and hand them out to homeless people.”

They sit there quietly for a moment, and Yuri has a feeling of déjà vu. This warmth, this companionship, it’s comfortable, natural. He’s never felt like this before... He catches Victor’s eyes, and suddenly feels a bit breathless. His chest feels tight, and cold sweat breaks out across his back. Victor smiles, then places a small cake on the table. He waves his hand, and the candle on the cake lights up with an odd green flame. Yuri smiles in return, a bit giddy. He closes his eyes and blows the flame out. Then he takes a spoon, and takes a ridiculously large bite. The filling is full of chocolate and cream, and is rich and delicious. Yuri grins, and Victor wipes a bit of frosting off of Yuri’s mouth delicately with a linen napkin, then gets up. Yuri stands up as well, waiting for Victor to do… _something_.

“Good night, Yuri. May your birthday wish come true.”

Yuri feels a tingle in the back of his neck, as he watches Victor leave.

“I wish… I wish to spend more time with you,” whispers Yuri, his heart pounding.

The next evening, Yuri accompanies Victor to the antique shop on Sacramento street. The sign says _Enchanting Antiques_ , and Rufus greets him with,

“Good evening, birthday boy! Did you have a good day?”

“Actually, yes. Best birthday in a long time.”

Yuri smiles at Victor and the lights above flicker, then go out. Rufus point to the door and tells Victor,

“Scram! You’ll short a circuit.”

Victor looks disappointed and leaves. The lights go back on. Rufus continues,

“Poor little vampire, it’s not easy being too powerful. Yuri, this is it! Basically it’s random old stuff, and the price tags look like this.”

There is furniture, tableware and knickknacks piled everywhere. After a while, Yuri notices evidence of Rufus’s sense of humor. A porcelain dog wearing a frilly pink hat, a copy of _Gray’s Anatomy_ next to cookware, two male dolls in bed inside an dollhouse. A brass call bell near the register has a sign that says:

_Ring if you’re horny._

Yuri walks down a hallway and passes by a room locked with a metal grill,Rufus explains,

“Those are magical items we don’t sell to regular people.”

Yuri pokes around, hoping to find a rare treasure. He exclaims,

“What a wonderful place! Do you have a list of what’s in the store?” He sees a colorful plate with an Asian design. “Oooh, a _kakiemon_ plate, in very good condition.”

“Might as well be a Pokémon plate, for all I care. I grew up valuing Camaros and Mustangs as antiques. Victor comes in once in a while, and helps me with pricing.”

“Rufus, how did you meet Victor?”

“When my family found out I was gay, they threw me out. I was 17, and I came to San Francisco with a few dollars in my pocket. I lived on the streets for a while, when Victor found me sleeping in a nearby park. He let me stay here and taught me about the pieces. I’m lucky, otherwise I would’ve ended up a prostitute, a drug dealer, or both. Or worse, I could have stayed home and gotten a mullet.”

Rufus pulls out an old leather bound book.

“Here’s the sacred ledger: what was bought, what was sold, all in chicken scratch! You have your work cut out for you.”

Yuri wishes he could just explore the store, especially the magical items. Instead, he learns to use an antique cash register with gold push buttons, then a computer tablet for credit cards.

A few hours later, Yuri takes a break in the store’s office. There’s a photo of Rufus with a woman, maybe his mom. There aren’t any of Victor. He’s never seen a photo of Victor. Do vampires even have a reflection? He should try his phone camera... There’s a watercolor on the wall of Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach. Underneath there’s a charcoal drawing of a hand. Yuri suddenly feels a bit breathless. His chest feels tight, and cold sweat breaks out across his back. He knows, _knows_ , that’s a drawing of Victor’s hand. He leaves the office, gasping for breath.

Alarmed, Yuri texts a quick excuse to Rufus, and runs over to Dr Deerhaven’s office. He bursts in saying,

“I had heart attack symptoms...” Yuri checks his phone. “Chest discomfort. It’s the most common sign... plus I had nausea, dizzy or lightheaded, sweating...”

“Pain that spreads to the arm?” inquires Oscar.

“No.”

Oscar rolls out a machine, and places sticky pads on Yuri’s chest, then tells him,

“Your EKG looks normal. This is a wonderful device, I’m lucky Victor bought it for me.”

Oscar frowns, examining the readout. Yuri gulps. Oscar asks calmly,

“Mmmm. Yuri... tell me about Rufus.”

Yuri looks over, surprised.

“Uh... sure. He’s okay... um, a bit over the top at first, theatrical...”

“Good. Now tell me about Victor.”

“What? Oh... he’s good-looking, knows about art, sparkly...”

Yuri stops, embarrassed by the sparkly comment. It makes Victor sound like the vampires from _Twilight_. He’s been watching every series about vampires lately. Oscar grabs a crystal and waves it over his chest.

“You do have a heart issue...” begins Oscar.

“Heart attack? Heartburn? Heartworm?” questions Yuri. “Wait… Isn’t heartworm in dogs? Or werewolves? Tell me I’m not a werewolf with heartworms…” pleads Yuri, beginning to shake with anxiety.

“No. No. And definitely not! You’re experiencing an _emotional_ awakening, a... surge of affection.”

Yuri rubs his forehead.

“Emotional? Oh... a new type of anxiety disorder? But I’ve been coping so well...”

“You’re in love.”

“Huh? I’ve never been in love... I barely even talk to girls!”

Oscar gives him a pointed look. Yuri takes a deep breath, and says,

“Oh. You mean... Victor. I’m fond of him, and he’s... attractive for a guy, but it’s just that magical vampire charisma. If he weren’t a vampire, we’d just be pals.”

“Yuri, I’ve met several vampires. There’s no special charisma.”

“Are you sure? In the stories, vampires are sexy to help them feed.”

Oscar shakes his head no. Yuri sighs, then relents,

“I’ll think about what you said. But... could you not tell Victor your... diagnosis?”

Oscar considers, then decides,

“I’ll tell him you had some palpitations and your EKG is fine. That’s all.”


	6. Violets are Blue

That night, Yuri comes down for dinner, and sees the table is bare. He offers,

“Is Boris sick? I could make him something…”

“Ask me to dinner, as practice,” suggests Victor. Yuri looks at the ceiling, then says,

“Uh... wanna have dinner?”

“Yes, thank you. Where shall we eat?”

Yuri digs in his pockets, and pulls out a few crumpled dollars.

“I could buy one taco or… get you a blood sausage?”

“Pretend I’m not a vampire, and that you have $200.”

“Uh, okay... Stay here.”

Yuri goes outside with his phone, then comes back a few minutes later, yelling,

“I found the perfect restaurant! It’s fancy, expensive and not too far from here.”

Victor hands him two crisp $100 bills.

“Let’s go.”

They walk for about half an hour, then Yuri finds a small door a few steps down from the sidewalk. He points to it proudly, and announces,

“Here it is! It’s called _Opaque_.”

“Let’s go in.”

“But you can’t eat here,” protests Yuri.

“I had some blood before we left. You can eat my food – you’re always hungry.”

They go down some stairs, and check in with a waitress, who gives them an orientation to the restaurant. Victor holds the waitress’s arm, and Yuri holds Victor’s arm. Then they are led into a pitch black room, where they can hear the sound of people talking, and silverware clanking. They sit down and Victor remarks,

“So we’re sitting in the dark?”

“Yeah. It’s supposed to enhance the taste of the food.”

“Well, they saved money on decor... Why is this restaurant perfect?”

“Um, so... you make lights flicker and here, no one will notice!”

Yuri feels a hand on his arm and startles. He hears Victor say,

“Why are you afraid?”

Yuri whispers,

“It’s dark, I can’t see.”

Victor sighs and asks,

“How are you going to practice small talk if you’re terrified?”

“It’s... It’s more realistic, I’d be terrified of talking to a date.”

“All right. Ask me some questions.”

“How did you become a vampire? Do you know other vampires? Can vampires shapeshift?”

“No questions about vampires.”

There’s a long silence, then they hear the waitress say,

“I’m putting down your plates of food. There are forks and knives, but remember, no one can see if you eat with your hands. Enjoy your meal!”

Yuri holds on to the table, and feels his stomach clench. Is he going to be able to eat? Victor whispers,

“Shall I nip you?”

Yuri nods, then realizes Victor can’t see him, and squeaks,

“Yeah.”

Yuri feels his arm is pulled towards Victor’s face, then the glove of his hand is slowly peeled away. The anxious energy in his body turns to heat. He feels warm lips on his fingers, then his wrist. The mouth presses to his wrist, and sucks for a moment. Yuri moans, and clamps down on his mouth with his other hand, worried other people will hear him. The small bite causes a wave of pleasure, and Yuri leans back. The chair slips, and he falls backward. Then he’s pulled into Victor’s arms and lands on his lap. Victor whispers in his ear,

“Are you all right?”

“Yes... uh, the bite surprised me,” explains Yuri, not wanting to admit it turned him on. “How did you catch me?”

“There’s a tiny bit of light in this room from the kitchen, not enough for human eyes, but I can make out basic shapes.”

“Oh.”

Yuri can feel the warmth and firmness of Victor’s legs on his bottom, and his arms are draped around Victor’s neck. He should return to his chair, instead he says,

“Give me a bite of food. I can’t see it.”

“Open your mouth.”

Yuri feels something cold and slimy put onto his tongue by fingers. He responds,

“Ugh, salty… oh, smoked salmon!”

“Yes. Try this.”

Then something buttery and smooth…

“Mashed potatoes.”

“And this?”

Then a small ball that explodes in his mouth.

“Whoa!”

“You don’t like cherry tomatoes?” inquires Victor. Yuri responds,

“Not when I can’t see. My mouth was attacked.”

As the meal goes on, Yuri lets his hands wander. He feels a shoulder, then the back of Victor’s neck. He chews on a piece of pork that isn’t bad, but the next bite is stinky cheese.

“Yuck!”

Victor chuckles, then adds,

“You’ll like this…”

This time something sweet, with flavors of chocolate and coffee melts in his mouth, and he licks the creme off of Victor’s fingers, and moans in pleasure. There’s something intoxicating about Victor’s body, Yuri wants to rub himself all over it. He runs his hand through Victor’s long hair, then straddles Victor’s lap, forgetting all about the restaurant. He feels a mouth on his neck sucking and kissing him, and moans again. Then Victor whispers,

“This date is out of hand. I need to get you home.”

Yuri reluctantly gets up, and Victor guides him to the exit. Once outside, the cool air and Victor’s glum disposition breaks the mood. Victor stops at a familiar building, then leaves Yuri.

Yuri enters Dr Deerhaven’s waiting area, plops down on a chair and says,

“Hi.”

The doctor looks up, and responds,

“Hello, Yuri. I have someone in back, I’ll be with you momentarily.”

Yuri waits for about forty-five minutes, wondering if he should just go back to the mansion. Then suddenly a young woman with green skin bolts through the door, and Doctor Deerhaven reappears.

“What can I help you with?”

“Victor said I got out of hand and left me here,” explains Yuri woodenly.

“Could you be more specific?”

“Uuh... I was turned on?”

“And you felt out of control?”

“No.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

“I see. I’ll tell Victor you’re fine. Have a good night.”

Yuri walks home, replaying the evening in his mind. Truth is, his feelings are a jumble. Sometimes the thought of being gay makes him feel sick to his stomach, other times it doesn’t matter. Victor seems to like him, and when they touch, it’s so electric… Yet Victor wants to keep him at arm’s length.

Later at the mansion, Yuri hears banging at the door. He spies through a window and sees Dr Deerhaven. Yuri bolts towards the sex room and opens the closet. There’s a metal grate in the floor and Yuri puts his ear to it.

“... anything you’d like to talk about?” says the doctor’s voice.

“... you want,” replies Victor.

“...taking in strays, but I’m worried about...”

“... I have a measure of...”

“...sex between warlocks creates ponds...”

“...crustaceans... and...”

Yuri can’t make out the rest. He rubs his shoulder, and bites his lips in worry. Victor is definitely hiding something. Does having sex with a vampire turn you into a crustacean? Yuri quickly looks up crustaceans: crabs, shrimps, prawns and barnacles. That sounds bad. And even more worrisome, how did Yuri know that the voices in the office would echo into the closet?

The following week, Yuri avoids Victor. But it’s impossible to avoid the images in his head. He keeps imagining Victor’s body, voice, his eyes… It’s unnerving. He escapes by spending time at the antique shop. He passes by the room locked with a metal grill,then stops and stares. Two items, a small clock and a ring are glowing. He rubs his eyes, then looks again. Everything now looks normal. He might be gaining magical powers, or just having hallucinations. He’s hoping for hallucinations.

A week later, Victor shows up at Yuri’s bedroom door with a bouquet of roses, and wearing a blue pin striped blazer with a straw hat. Yuri looks at him puzzled and asks,

“Are you going to a costume party?”

“I’m inviting you to go boating on Stow Lake. Another practice date.”

Alarmed at this turn of event, Yuri stalls with,

“Oh? Oh. Um... won’t that be a bit dark?”

“There’s a full moon. And don’t worry, after a baby bison was attacked by a ‘wild dog’, the San Francisco Warlock Commission set up anti-predator spells in Golden Gate Park.”

“But what attacked the bison?” asks Yuri.

“A werewolf.”

Yuri flinches at that information. He takes the flowers and shoves them into a round bowl on a corner table. Victor winces. Yuri sees the reaction, then apologizes,

“I just realized that’s a chamber pot – I didn’t mean to do that to your flowers!”

Yuri feels his cheeks burn. Victor touches Yuri’s lips with his gloved index finger to quiet him.

“That’s my fault. I should have brought a vase.”

Yuri feels his lips tingle where Victor touched him. He follows him, wondering how he’s going to survive this practice date.

Yuri steps outside of the mansion walls and sees a bike taxi waiting. They are taken to Golden Gate Park. There they walk to the edge of the artificial lake. Victor unlocks a two-person pedal boat, and holds his hand out to help Yuri get in. It’s a clear night, the full moon makes it bright enough to see the general area. But the shadows under the trees are eerily dark and make Yuri nervous.

“Yuri, I’m not saying this to brag, but I’m a skilled fighter and magic user. I will protect you.”

“You can sense how anxious I am?” checks Yuri.

“Your heart rate has increased significantly,” replies Victor, making Yuri self-consciously put his hand over his throat. They both start to pedal, Victor steers the boat towards the right hand part of the lake. Yuri feels jumpy and babbles,

“I hate the dark and shadows... I can’t sleep without a light on, and sometimes… when I was a kid, I peed in my bed because I was so afraid of the shadows on the way to the bathroom. I’m not sure why you’re spending so much time with me, I’m unpopular with most humans, let alone a good-looking guy like you who has money and weird powers. Plus... how old are you anyways? You look like you’re in your forties...”

“I do not! I appear to be in my thirties at most!” retorts Victor with irritation. “The first rule of dating is to say something complimentary, and it’s better for it to be sincere. Try again.”

“I said you’re good-looking,” protests Yuri. Victor replies,

“You also mentioned bedwetting. Not a good topic on a date. Actually, never mention that again. Ever.”

“So what do we talk about? You never like personal questions,” complains Yuri. Victor sighs, then shrugs.

“Fine, ask whatever you want.”

“How old are you?”

“102.”

“102! I was worried you were hundreds of years old… you talk like a... a dictionary.”

“I read a lot, it improved my vocabulary.”

“Do you age?”

“Yes, but slowly. I also heal very quickly.”

“Do you have a reflection in mirrors?”

“Yes.”

“But you have no mirrors in your house, no photos...” Yuri stops, thinking about the painting. Victor explains,

“It’s tricky to inherit from yourself, it’s easier if there’s no photographic evidence. And now, everyone who knew me as human has died. I rarely make friends – I hate to watch them pass away.”

“So you only have Rufus and Oscar?”

“And you. I consider you a friend. You share many of my interests, you’re earnest, and true to your heart. You might even be a warlock, which would be… _interesting._ ”

Interesting? Yuri remembers the sex room. He quickly changes the topic,

“I read that being a vampire is a warlock curse. So only warlocks can become vampires?”

“Yes. Legend has it a king had two sons. Both were powerful warlocks, and they fought for the throne. The younger cursed his brother with vampirism to keep him from being king. The older son drank people dry for hundreds of years in revenge.”

“Rufus says you don’t have enemies – you haven’t figured out why you were attacked.”

“Those men were on standby for years to attack, yet were poorly trained and inept. I’m not sure what kind of person does that.”

Yuri looks over at Victor’s face in the darkness, his pale skin gleaming in the moonlight. The park at night is surprisingly quiet, and the paddles sound loud. Yuri asks quietly,

“Who was the lover, the one in pain?”

“Maximilian. I loved him so much… He was an American soldier in World War II. I met him in France, on the front, almost dead of hunger and cold. He was discharged for being homosexual, released in San Francisco. We wrote letters to each other, and I moved here to be with him. Unfortunately, he suffered a neurological disease caused by mustard gas. He died in 1950.”

The night closes in on Yuri, the dark shadows loom like blobby monsters, oozing towards him. Something splashes nearby. Yuri curls up into a ball, shaking and begins to sob. Victor whispers intensely,

“ _Quiet_!”

Yuri continues to shake, but now is unable to make noise. Victor picks him up, still in a ball, and jumps towards the island in the middle of the lake. He runs through the bushes and trees, uphill towards the middle of the island. In a clearing, a group of about eight people in robes are holding hands and chanting something. Victor ignores them, runs downhill, crosses a little stone bridge, and then goes back towards the main street. Victor loads Yuri onto his back and walks home.

Back inside the mansion, Yuri begins sobbing again. Victor gets him a juice box, then watches as Yuri drinks it.

“I’m sorry to silence you,” says Victor apologetically. Yuri tries to say something, then starts crying again. Victor continues, “May I nip you?”

Yuri shakes his head, then changes his mind, and nods. Victor sniffs Yuri’s wrist, places his mouth on and gives a tiny bite. Yuri closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. It’s amazing to feel all his fear disappear.

“Wow. Sorry, I had an anxiety attack,” says Yuri in a normal voice.

“I sensed something malevolent in those woods. You did too,” explains Victor.

“That’s so much better than my anti-anxiety medicine. Is it addictive?” asks Yuri. Victor shakes his head.

“Not generally. Some people get intoxicated by being bitten, but it’s more of a psychological addiction than a pharmacological one.”

“That was a terrible date, wasn’t it? I’m glad we were protected by that circle of warlocks. Hey! You saved my life, you’re off the hook with that vow of yours,” realizes Yuri, looking down at the ground. Victor tilts Yuri’s head back in his direction and clarifies,

“Those weren’t warlocks, those were neo-pagan witches, celebrating the full moon. They usually don’t have any powers, so their rituals are useless. I enjoyed the date, we both got to know each other. I may have overreacted about the possible danger. Your life wasn’t in danger, therefore the vow is still good. Perhaps next time, we’ll go somewhere brighter.”

Victor smiles and says,

“Good night, Yuri.”

Then he heads downstairs.

Yuri looks at Victor leave, feeling conflicted. He should go to his room, get some sleep. But if Victor enjoyed the date, he doesn’t want Victor to go. He grabs Victor’s arm.

“Maybe this is the vampire spit talking, but can I see your crypt?”

“You wish to visit my private underground room? Why?” demands Victor with a steely gaze into Yuri’s eyes.

“I… I’ll tell you if you let me in. Otherwise, I’m going to my room.”

Victor opens the door, and motions with his arm,

“After you.”

Yuri goes downstairs, then Victor passes him to access a metal door. Victor opens it with a set of iron keys and muttered words. The door opens with a flash of blue light, and Victor goes inside. Yuri walks in and takes in the comfortable sitting room, with a couch in a corner, a desk, and a large bed with curtains.

“No coffins or caskets…” quips Yuri nervously. “Nor any windows…”

Victor sits down on the couch, then motions for Yuri to sit down.

“I’m waiting for your explanation.”

Yuri freezes, then asks,

“May I check under your bed for a moment?”

Victor nods. Yuri looks under it, peering at it from different directions. Then he continues,

“Why do you trust me?”

Victor looks unnerved by the question.

“I could give a plausible justifications for my trust, but honestly, it’s just a feeling. Why do you ask?”

“Well… I read a basic book about vampires. Mage world vampires, not human stories about them. Supposedly, a vampire who lets you into their crypt is showing a lot of trust. I saved your life, but I didn’t mean to…” Yuri pauses for a deep breath. “This is harder than I thought.”

“Well, we have till dawn,” replies Victor with an arm wave. Yuri looks anxiously around, then spews out,

“I’m confused, I don’t know who I am, I’m lost, and you found me. And you don’t want me… but you trust me. Why did you enjoy a date with a crybaby who folded into a wimpy ball!?”

Victor frowns for a moment, then inquires,

“Was that a rhetorical question? You’re rather prone to denial and passivity…”

“Well… it’s not every day that I… have to deal with so much! Witches, vampires, magic, and homosexuality… I’m a bit stressed.”

Yuri sits, trying to regroup.

Eventually, Yuri walks over, and stands next to where Victor is seated.

“I can’t stand it anymore,” and he presses his mouth against Victor’s, throwing his body onto his. Victor recoils and pushes Yuri away, explaining,

“Yuri, I was just helping you find the confidence to date. I talked to Rufus about it, he said you can order a sexual partner on the phone. Those devices are extraordinary, Rufus orders everything by phone now.”

“That’s not what I want!” Yuri cries out. He feels a knot in the pit of his stomach, and asks pleadingly, “Am I not... attractive enough? Am I not your type or something?”

Victor lectures him,

“Be patient, you’ll find someone.”

“I have. It’s you, it can only be you, I don’t want anyone else!” Yuri declares earnestly. Victor seems distressed and groans,

“I remember the past, yet I’m still condemned to repeat it!”

Yuri steps back like he’s been slapped. Then he mumbles,

“I thought you liked me.”

Yuri can hear the hurt in his own voice. Victor says more gently,

“I’m protecting you. Being involved with a warlock cursed with vampirism is not what’s best for you. And there’s much you don’t know…”

“Yeah. I don’t know much about you... So tell me.”

Victor takes a deep breath, and sits there for a minute, deep in thought. He eventually says,

“Yuri, be patient. In time, I will confide in you.”

“Okay.” Yuri pauses for a moment, “Do you like smooth bodies? Should I lift weights or have hair removed?” asks Yuri, peering at his chest under his shirt. Victor chuckles.

“You’re adorable.” Then he glances at his bed and complains, “We shouldn’t be having this conversation here. You have a frightening habit of finding my weak spots.”

Yuri hears that last sentence, and it repeats in his mind, like an echo. Weak spots. Yuri mentally goes over the last few months. Victor seeing Yuri for the first time, saying he’s kind of cute. Victor showing him a storage room he hadn’t opened in years. Rufus surprised no one stays at Chateau Creepy. Yolanda saying vampires are guarded and solitary. Yuri begging Victor to kiss him, and Victor doing it. Victor dancing with him, Victor taking him out on a date, and Victor doing something special for his birthday. And finally, Victor letting him into his crypt. Yuri asks,

“I’m your master or something, right? Do you obey me because of that life vow?”

“No. The life vow requires me to protect your life, not obey your commands.”

“Then why do all this special stuff for me?”

“Because I want to.”

Yuri groans at the frustrating answer. Still he tries again,

“But _why_ do you want to?”

“I told you: it’s a feeling, affection if you will.”

Yuri senses that he’s close to something important, if he can get Victor to admit it.

“Why is it weak to have feelings for me?” replies Yuri, approaching Victor more slowly. Yuri reaches out with his hand. He’s been wearing gloves all night, and hasn’t bothered to take them off. He touches Victor’s arm. Then Yuri slides his hand down Victor shirt, and touches the top of Victor’s hand. Then he orders,

“Tell me what you feel.”

Victor flashes him a look of irritation, but says nothing. Yuri watches Victor’s face, he can see an internal struggle. Why is this so difficult? Victor said he didn’t have to obey Yuri’s commands, yet Victor does. Then it’s not about the vow… Yuri caresses Victor’s cheek, wanting to soothe and reassure him.

“I feel something I haven’t felt in a long time,” finally murmurs Victor, then pulls him in for a hug. There’s an immediate sense of relief at being in his arms. But again, Victor is holding back. It’s frustrating! Yuri is not sure exactly what he wants from Victor, but it’s more... In the meantime, Yuri caresses Victor’s back with his hand and says,

“It feels like our bodies just fit together, is that normal?”

“Yuri...”

“And you smell good...”

Yuri sniffs Victor’s neck.

“Yuri...”

Victor groans. Yuri offers with an innocent look,

“We could kiss a bit, to lessen the spell.”

“You win,” growls Victor, and finally feels the pleasure of their warm mouths as Victor explores Yuri’s lips.

Soon, Yuri feels drunk on the kissing and the warmth of Victor’s body. Yuri finds himself grinding into Victor’s lap uncontrollably, and Victor makes a hissing sound.

“Yuri, am I allowed to nip you to calm you down?”

“No! These clothes are in the way,” says Yuri, fumbling with buttons. Victor tells him,

“I’m keeping my clothes on. Keep your gloves on. You might magically hurt me, if you lose control.”

Yuri nods, fumbles with the buttons because of his gloves. He pulls off his T-shirt, and rubs his chest against Victor’s. Victor kisses Yuri’s throat, then begins to suck on it. Yuri moans and hears

“Lie down.”

The words makes Yuri stop. Then he sits down, and fumbles nervously with his pants buttons.

“Yuri, are you worried I’ll bite you?”

Yuri hugs himself, then confesses,

“I was worried, because I wasn’t worried about it. It’s crazy, but once we kissed, I felt like I’d known you forever.”

“But I’m a man…”

Yuri nods and shyly caresses Victor’s face.

“Yes, you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen…”

Victor seems to melt at the words.

“Compliments will get you everywhere,” admits Victor. He comes over, and kisses Yuri, his tongue teasing and coaxing another moan. Yuri stands there, not sure what to do. Victor motions for him to lie down. Yuri feels a gloved hand caressing his body, his chest, his legs, circling towards his privates. Then one hand cupped his penis, and the other plays with his balls. The gloves feel soft and nice, still he yearns for skin… Yuri cums quickly, and Victor smiles affectionately at him.

Yuri shyly smiles back, then he remembers to ask,

“So what happens if we’re both naked? We turn into crabs?”

Victor looks puzzled and replies,

“No, of course not. Are you familiar with the idea of chakras?”

“Something to do with points on the body.”

“In yoga, there are areas on the body that have energy, wheels of energy. When two people embrace facing each other, the wheels can line up. There is an energy exchange, and a bonding. The more powerful the warlock, the more powerful the connection.”

“So you could hurt me with magical powers?”

“Yes. Imagine that anytime you had sex with someone else, you could only think of me.”

“But…”

“... right now you’re only interested in me. But once the sigil is completely gone, your sexual interests should broaden. Now get dressed, and go to your room.”

“Go to your room?” repeats Yuri,outraged. Victor smiles knowingly, obviously intending to annoy him.

“I need to work tonight.”

Yuri clenches his fists and counters,

“You really suck sometimes!”

and stomps upstairs.


	7. The Night After

The next morning, Yuri takes a quick shower, throws on some clothes, and runs all the way to the university. He feels completely different. Confident, relaxed, looking people in the eyes. People’s reactions to him are different as well. Several girls check him out, he can sense their interest. In his senior seminar, a dark-haired boy looks at him as well. Yuri speaks up in the class discussion, and after class, chats with other students.

“Yuri? Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Yuri turns around, smiles and says,

“Hey, sis! Yeah, let’s go, I have lots of homework.”

Yuri waves to the other students, and follows Mari outside. She puts her hands on her hips, and interrogates him,

“What’s going on? Your hair’s slicked back, and you’re talking to other human beings… Wait, are you on medication?”

“Sort of, a natural version. Derived from the salivary gland of... a vampire bat.”

“You’re so very weird. But you look awesome! Our band booked a cafe on Broadway street, near Stockton, come check us out!”

Yuri rubs his eyes, under his glasses. He stops and looks at passersby. Most seem normal, but once in a while he sees someone with little dancing lights around their heads. Magic users. One man appears completely black, lurking in the doorway about half a block away. Unsettled, Yuri walks towards the metaphysical shop to see Yolanda. He enters the shop, then stops. Yolanda’s skin is dark brown, and her hair is long, frizzy and black. Yuri stares at her.

“Hello, Yuri. You’re looking at me strangely. Are you all right?”

“When I first met you, you were very pale and your hair was white. Now you seem… normal, if you know what I mean.”

Yolanda laughs, then responds,

“I think I do. You sound like a 12-year-old, describing your first magical experiences. You saw my aura, not my skin color. Young mages are taught white auras are good, dark auras are bad. Although I’m not too fond of that simple duality. A dark aura could be due to sickness, or a curse, not necessarily evil. In the past, all dark skinned mages were considered bad and killed by ‘white’ warlocks.”

Yuri remembers the first time he saw Victor, he thought he was wearing all white. Yet Victor never wears white because of his pale skin. Must have been his aura.

“So you’re Glenda the Good Witch?” jokes Yuri.

“Sure.” She quotes Glenda, “ _You had the power all along, my dear._ ”

Yuri looks for the dark aura man outside, but no one is there. Relieved, he heads back to the mansion.

Back in his room, Yuri waits for Victor to wake up. He sits at his desk, constantly checking the time and the amount of darkness outside. He taps the desk nervously with a pen. Then he checks a list of museums again. Finally, he hears some noises downstairs. Yuri gets up, descends to Victor’s office and knocks on the door.

“You may come in,” says Victor opening the door, wearing an elegant shirt and slacks. Yuri glances at his own T-shirt and exercise pants and begins,

“I… I could change, if you’d like to go out, or, uh, we could go to a museum?” Yuri tries to remember the list, then offers, “We could go to the wax museum...”

Victor frowns. Yuri taps the edge of the doorway with his hand, regretting his words. The wax museum? That’s a kitschy tourist trap at Fisherman’s Wharf, why did he say that...?!

“Yuri, you seem jittery. Are you all right?” asks Victor. Yuri nods. He feels a thrilling amount of power, like a jolts of energy, coursing through his body.

“Uh, it’s okay – we don’t have to go see waxy dead people,” Yuri says earnestly. Victor stands up, and tilts his head like he’s considering it. Does Victor think yesterday was a mistake?

“Tonight is not ideal for a date. So…” Victor runs his finger on Yuri’s T-shirt. “We could spend the night in bed.”

“Good. Better. Great,” replies Yuri with a smile. “I want to do more…”

“As you wish,” murmurs Victor, giving Yuri a quick kiss. “I will pleasure you in many ways.”

Yuri gulps, imagining what that means...

Several hours later, Yuri sighs in satisfaction, stretching his limbs on the bed. Victor smiles at Yuri, and inquires,

“So is this exploration making things clearer?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Are you gay? Bisexual? Are you interested in other sexual partners?”

Yuri frowns and shakes his head.

“I’m not interested in anybody else. But it’s like… I can see other people are interested in sex. Or interested in me. It’s like getting a new phone, then noticing other people have the same one.”

“May I check the sigil?” inquires Victor.

“Oh. Yeah. It’s still there?”

“Mmmm... strangely it is…”

Yuri bites his lip, then asks,

“Um, Victor… We’ve done a lot of things in bed, why have we never tried, um, backdoor stuff?”

“There is no need for anal penetration. Are you telling me my lovemaking is insufficient?”

“No, it’s great! And at first, I was rather relieved. But... I’m getting curious. Do you dislike it?”

“Not necessarily,” says Victor, making a motion with his hand. A small sparkling thing appears, he adds, “This is a great way to begin anal pleasure.”

“Uh... okay. What do I do?”

“Lie down and relax. Tell me stop or slow down, if you need to...”

Yuri takes a deep breath and lies down. Victor makes the sparkly thing slowly enter Yuri’s ass. He gasps, then moans, grabbing onto the sheets.

“Oh, oh, oh, ooooooooh...”

The next evening, Victor wakes Yuri from a nap, and says,

“The deYoung Art Museum is open late tonight, but that still doesn’t afford us much time.”

As they arrive in front of a long rusted steel metal building, Yuri cringes.

“What is that ugly thing? It looks like a rectangular metal turd!” exclaims Yuri in horror. Victor looks at him, puzzled.

“The deYoung Art Museum… You haven’t been here before?”

Yuri frowns, feeling confused. He answers,

“I thought I had… it’s a Spanish style building...”

“It was until 2003, it was badly damaged in the 1989 earthquake, and had to be demolished.”

“Oh. I must’ve seen photos of it. I’ve only lived in San Francisco for five years.”

They walk through various galleries, the lights keep flickering on and off, and Victor stops and closes is eyes, trying to dampen his power. Then he narrates information about the different artists. Yuri teases,

“Wow, you know more than the audio guides. Now I understand the appeal of older men.” 

“Older men, indeed. You make me sound like a doddering fool. Should I carry a cane?” complains Victor.

“I’ll get you wheelchair, and push you around. Oh my, look at that painting! It’s awesome!” exclaims Yuri.

“Which one…” begins Victor, then goes quiet, as Yuri walks up to a large painting of nature.

“I’m not sure where the clouds end and the mist begins, and the rainbow is shimmering in the midst of it all…” Yuri stops, seeing a weird expression on Victor’s face. The lights near them flicker off, then on. Victor murmurs,

“ _Rainy Season in the Tropics_ , by Frederick E Church, 1866.”

“You don’t like it?”

“This painting brings up memories.”

Victor remains silent for the rest of the visit, and Yuri is unsure of what to say. In the last gallery, a young man is sketching a copy of an artwork, and Victor watches the young man, lost in thought. The lights near them flicker off, then on. Yuri feels a cold knot of fury build in his midsection, and wants to bring Victor’s attention back to himself. He stomps his foot, and the building reverberates, sending the artist’s easel crashing to the floor. Victor quickly helps pick up the chalks, and a security guard comes over to investigate. Yuri walks nearby and hovers, unsure what to do.

“It must’ve been a small earthquake, after all, we’re near the San Andreas Fault,” Victor explains to the security guard. The guard announces,

“It’s closing time, you all must leave.”

Yuri follows Victor out of the museum, feeling like a naughty child again. Victor hasn’t looked at him since the painting.

“Are you going to ground me?” grumbles Yuri. Victor turns and answers,

“Since you’re an untrained warlock, it’s not your fault. Though I’m tempted to spank you.”

Yuri wriggles his butt in Victor’s direction.

“Go ahead,” replies Yuri saucily. Victor pulls Yuri into his arms, and gives him a kiss. Yuri feels his whole body relax, and his anger fade. Yuri buries his face into Victor’s shoulder, then asks,

“Victor, do you miss sunlight?”

“Terribly. The warmth, the colors...”

“Colors? You can’t see colors?!”

Yuri looks around the museum in dismay. Victor confides,

“For me, everything is black and white, and the world is always dark… Sometimes the darkness becomes too much for me, and I stay shut in. I spent years alone inside my house, til Oscar befriended me.”

“Was it worth it? You could’ve lived a long life in the sun, if you hadn’t become a vampire.”

Victor nods and kisses Yuri’s forehead.

“Yes, it was worth it. I got to meet you.”

Later, after some enjoyable sex, Victor inquires,

“What was your childhood like?”

Yuri starts recounting every memory, every detail, until his voice is hoarse.

”… and then when I was twelve…” Yuri suddenly stops. “I always wanted a friend, someone to talk to… I must be boring you to death!”

“Not at all – I could listen to you all night,” he glances at the clock, “I already have. You should get some sleep... I left something in your room.”

Yuri gives a quick kiss, and goes upstairs. He finds a rare Japanese serving dish hand painted with a radish, and a serving of cut vegetables. He laughs, and snacks on a carrot. He should find a gift for Victor on his way back from class.


	8. The Funeral

The next night, Yuri waits for Victor to appear, but he never does. Yuri works distractedly on his computer for most of the night. Shortly before dawn, Yuri finds him pacing the living room, looking preoccupied.

“Victor…? Is something wrong?”

“A vampire who lives nearby, John Burnell, has been found dead. Two hunters are suspected.”

“The vampire was shot by hunters?”  
“No. Burnell was found with a wooden stake in his heart, the classic kill method of vampire hunters.”

Yuri grabs his hand in dismay.

“You mean like Van Helsing or Buffy... Oh no! Is that what those two guys were in the park?”

Victor shakes his head, and replies,

“Those were untrained thugs. Hunters are pairs of men trained from childhood as killers.”

“And where did this happen? squeaks Yuri.

“That’s the troubling part: at his home. He’s been hiding in the caves of Albion Castle for decades.”

“Albion Castle? Where’s that?”

“Hunters Point. It’s a small stone house. Underneath it, there’s a a spring, Mister Burnell used to make beer for the saloons of San Francisco.”

“Whoa! How old was he?”

Victor checks one of his leather notebooks.

“He was born in 1849… 169 years old.”

“Do you have records of all vampires?”

“I know the ones living in San Francisco, or nearby in the Bay Area. And if I hear of foreign ones, I notate them.”

“Who is the oldest?”

“Melchora de los Reyes Acosta. She lived in Xalpan, Mexico. She was accused of witchcraft in 1752, so she’s... 279?”

“She was accused at age 12?”

“So maybe she’s 283 or more...” Victor closes the book. “The funeral will be lavish, and the security intense. Do you have a black suit?”

“I’m invited? I’ve never been to a funeral… and I hate talking to new people, especially if they’re sad…”

“You’ll be my date. And no one will be sad, Burnell’s family are all dead. Alma Spreckels, the top vampire of the City is hosting. It’s vampire tradition to mark the death of one of us: it doesn’t happen very often.”

Yuri takes a deep breath, worried by the idea of guys hunting Victor. Yet Victor has survived this long, hopefully he can stay safe.

The mansion at 2080 Washington Street is a neoclassical affair, an imposing white limestone building with white columns. Giant bushes hide most of it from the street. Several black limousines pull up and let black clad guests out. Yuri and Victor arrive in a horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by Oscar and Rufus.

Yuri whispers to Rufus,

“Did you receive an invitation?”

Rufus whispers back,

“No way! I’m nobody. But I convinced Oscar to take me as his guest, as a doctor to the mage world...” Rufus adds in a British accent, “... he is welcome into the upper echelons of society!”

Yuri looks at Doctor Deerhaven with concern. The man looks tired, drained.

“Are you okay, doctor?”

The man cleans his glasses and nods. Then he replies,

“A lot of healing work, all at once. I’m drained.”

Rufus pats the doctor’s shoulder in concern. They wait in line, while each guest is scanned by two burly warlocks. Victor narrates,

“This house belongs to the Grandmother of the City: Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. She was born in 1881. She built the Palace of Legion of Honor...”

“With Rodin’s thinker,” adds Yuri. Victor assents,

“Yes, she imported all those Rodin sculptures. She spent a fortune attaining the fountain of youth, eventually becoming a vampire. All sorts of occult activities were popular in the late 1800s. Leland Stanford founded a university trying to contact his dead son.”

They are patted down, and scanned with crystals, then waived inside. Yuri feels a prickly feeling, then a sudden fatigue. Doctor Deerhaven reassures him with,

“The wards are so strong, it’s affecting our bodies. Eat something once we’re inside.”

They walk through a marbled floor atrium, and into a large ballroom with white walls, ornate molding, delicately decorated with gold. The floor is made of wood, laid out in an intricate pattern. Rufus looks around in awe and says,

“Online it says this house belongs to Danielle Steele, the famous romance novelist. Is she related to Alma?”

Victor replies,

“Not at all. Though I think Ms. Steele has an agreement with Alma. Alma resides quietly in one wing of the house, and Ms. Steele’s books magically hit the bestseller list.”

There are hundreds of well-dressed people greeting each other with their palm up. Victor excuses himself,

“I need to talk to a few people.”

Yuri wanders off to one side, and examines the nearest painting. Then he hears,

“How do you do. I felt I must talk to you, since we’re strangers. We have not ruined our relationship by getting to know each other.”

“Hi. I’m Yuri. Oh... sorry, I shouldn’t have told you my name.”

The man smiles. His silvery hair still has traces of blonde, and he has a thin mustache. He must’ve been quite handsome in his youth.

“I’m Ambrose. Ambrose with an A. My father obviously had a dictionary of names, and was too lazy to look beyond the first pages to name his children. My siblings were named… Abigail, Amelia, Ann... Addison, Aurelius, Augustus... Almeda, Andrew, Albert... Arthur, Adelia, and Aurelia.”

“Wow! Did you know Mr Burnell?”

“A little bit. He brewed ales and porters, and built himself a medieval home, the dark ages being known for such comfort... As such, he wasn’t a complete bore… Physically he looked a bit like me, so I will say he was rather handsome.”

“Mr Bierce! I love your book, _Cobwebs from an Empty Skull!”_ interrupts a middle-aged woman excitedly.

“Really? What did you love about it?” asks Ambrose in an exasperated tone.

“Oh, your horror stories have the best words! Did you know Edgar Allen Poe, or Lovecraft?” she responds.

“Lovecraft was a unknown pulp writer in my day. And Poe was rather dry and spiritless.”

“He was boring?” she asks. Ambrose rolls his eyes skyward, and says cuttingly,

“Dead boring. He died when I was a little boy.”

A very tall and regal old lady makes her entrance. She is wearing an elaborate black dress, with black lace detail.

“Wow. She looks like a queen… Who is she?” Yuri whispers. Ambrose replies,

“Alma Spreckels. A laundress who married a sugar baron. She posed nude for artists. And Adolph Spreckels like Pygmalion, fell in love with a scantily clad statue of her.”

“Pygmalion?”

“ _Pygmalion_ fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life. Which inspired the play by George Bernard Shaw. And the musical, _My Fair Lady_.”

“Sorry, don’t know it.”

“Oh dear. What bad taste not to be aware of my good taste.”

Yuri gets closer and hears Mrs Spreckels recount,

“My father-in-law started a brewery in San Francisco in the 1850s. Then my husband, Adolph, won water rights in a poker game against the King of Hawaii. So he started growing sugarcane. He made a lot of money selling sugar… and so did I,” she says with a croaky laugh. Rufus asks,

“How did Adolph meet you?”

The old lady gets a twinkle in her eyes.

“I modeled for a statue, and Adolph chose my statue over the others. The city put up my statue in Union Square, if you’d like a looksee!”

“The statue represents the Goddess of Victory at the battle of Manila Bay, it was put up to honor General George Dewey,” adds someone else. Mrs Spreckels nods and agrees,

“Oh yes, George was quite a ladies man, so I suppose that was appropriate! Anyhow, my dear Adolph was enamored with that statue, and even more in love with me.”

“Did you marry him right away?” inquires Rufus,

“Oh no! He was 24 years older than me, and it took me 5 years to get him to accept me!”

Ambrose whispers to Yuri,

“Old Adolph was worried he’d share everything with his wife.”

“He didn’t want to share his money?” Yuri whispers back.

“He didn’t want to share his syphilis!” Ambrose whispers sardonically. Rufus continues,

“Did you want him just ‘coz was rich?”

Mrs Spreckels insists,

“Nah, I loved the guy! He was jolly fun, though it doesn’t hurt that he was loaded… He was a real sugar daddy!”

“So you must remember the great earthquake of 1907?” Rufus says in awe. She sighs and remembers,

“Of course. So many places burned down. As was quoted in my day: ‘ _If, as they say, God spanked this town for being much too frisky, why did he burn his churches down and save Hotaling’s Whiskey?_ ’” She looks around with a disappointed air. “Such a paltry affair, Adolph Sutro’s funeral was a grand event… Everyone was dressed in extravagant gowns and suits… 1898 seems like yesterday.”

Rufus examines the house, and asks,

“Is Danielle Steele here?”

“No, she’s in Paris.”

“Too bad, I’d love to talk romance with her... I’m horribly single!”

Mrs Spreckels shakes her head, and lectures him,

“My dear, writing romance and living romance are very two different things.”

A young woman approaches Yuri, and he avoids her and hides in an alcove. An old Asian woman is wheeled in, wearing a flowery jacket. She is wearing big round glasses and is sitting very uprightly in the wheelchair, and reminds Yuri of his grandmother. He notices her feet are tiny and triangular. Must have been bound. She gestures to him, and demands,

“Who are you?”

Yuri looks around, hoping she’s talking to somebody else. Then he reluctantly replies,

“Yuri Katsuki. Uh, nice to meet you.”

“I’m Ah Toy.”

Yuri figures he should try to make small talk. He forces a smiles and asks,

“Oh, uh... go to funerals much?”

Yuri frowns, it sounds like a pickup line, a really bad one. She responds,

“ _Pok gai_! You are cute. You remind me of my third husband.” The woman gestures to the young woman behind her chair to go away and orders, “Me and my new boyfriend are going to the buffet.”

Yuri cringes and takes over the wheelchair. He spends the rest of the funeral by her side, hoping Victor comes to save him. Eventually she asks,

“You are friends with Nikiforov?”

“Uh, yes...”

“So you’re a peach?”

“Uh... I don’t know what that means.”

“Male lover.”

Yuri turns bright red at discussing such a thing with this old Asian grandma. He stammers,

“I... I... I’m sure you don’t want to talk about that...”

“You don’t know anything. I arrived in San Francisco during the gold rush, and there were barely any women. Lots of men had to fornicate with other men. I knew a Chinese cross-dresser…”

Yuri listens in astonishment about the early history of Chinatown that wasn’t covered in school.

Suddenly there is a rumbling, and the ground shakes side to side, a crystal chandelier makes a tinkling noise as it swings, and some dishes on the buffet crash to the floor. A decorative statue falls towards Yuri, then rights itself. Yuri looks over at Ah Toy, she has her palm up towards the statue.

“What happened?” he asks. The old lady is looking towards the center, where Mrs. Spreckels is standing in a glowing circle like a towering angry figure, and all the people who around her have been thrown ten feet away from her. Ah Toy asks loudly,

“What happened, Alma?”

The old woman responds contemptuously,

“Someone tried to curse me. Everybody out! I don’t appreciate my hospitality being used in this fashion.”

Ah Toy laughs. Yuri looks at her with wide eyes and asks,

“Why is that funny?”

“The last time several warlocks of high power got into a battle, it caused the 1989 earthquake.”

Mrs. Spreckels shakes her head, and says,

“That one wasn’t my fault. The 1904 earthquake on the other hand…”

Suddenly, Victor grabs Yuri’s hand and orders,

“Let’s go.”


	9. A Walk in the Park

The next morning, Yuri walks Thorgi the corgi in Golden Gate Park. He’s running late. Yuri checks the time, and pulls the leash impatiently, as the poor dog has gained even more weight. His phone keeps beeping with texts, then his phone rings.

“Rufus, what’s up?”

“I’m stuck in the shop. It’s ridiculous, I locked the front door of the shop last night, then went upstairs, and lost the key. I’m locked inside! Be my knight in shining armor: bring your key and let me out.”

“Uuuh... I don’t have time. I have to walk this dog home, then go straight to class – there’s a quiz.”

“Fine, cupcake, I’ll save myself. I’m jumping out of the window, I’ll meet you to get your key.”

“ ‘Kay, I’m headed to Fulton and Stanyon.”

Yuri pulls the corgi again to get it to hurry up. There’s a big hedge of bushes, and the dog sniffs excitedly, as the dog tugs Yuri towards it. Suddenly, Yuri feels a terrible sense of nausea, his whole body aches, and he squats on the ground.

“ _You are rubber, I am glue, I’m taking the spell that’s stuck on you!_ ” yells Rufus, appearing by Yuri’s side. Yuri feels immediately better, but now Rufus is holding his stomach.

“Call Oscar,” moans Rufus, crouching down. Yuri nods. He wishes he could contact Victor, but that must wait till nightfall. Oscar arrives quickly, he places a crystal on Rufus’s stomach, and mutters some words. Rufus seems to relax a bit and Yuri asks,

“Do you need my help carrying him back?”

Oscar replies,

“No, I can manage. Take this amulet, put it around your neck. Go to the mansion and stay there. Hopefully by this evening, I’ll have a better idea of what happened.”

Rufus tries to stand, but his knees buckle underneath him. Oscar puts his arm underneath Rufus’s shoulder and knees, and lifts him easily. Yuri stands there, worried. Rufus manages to say hoarsely,

“I got my knight in shining armor after all!”

Yuri gives a sad smile, and tugs on the corgi’s leash. Then he gives up and imitates Oscar by scooping up the tubby dog, and carrying him back home.

Around sunset, Yuri sits in the living room texting Rufus. He seems all right. Victor strides into the living room, and quickly runs his hands all over Yuri’s body.

“Um, Victor, we should talk before getting physical…”

Victor continues his pat down, and coldly replies,

“This isn’t foreplay, I’m checking you for residual malicious spells. Oscar sent me an explanatory message.”

“You sound angry. Isn’t Rufus okay?”

Victor covers his eyes with his hand, and responds,

“For now. Rufus had basic defensive magical training, and Oscar should be able to heal him. You, however, are like a baby, you could be permanently damaged. You’re fortunate Rufus appeared when he did,” growls Victor in frustration. Oscar is let into the room by Boris, and sits down. He seems even more tired and drained than at the funeral. He reports,

“Rufus is responding well to the healing spells, though I’ll be keeping him overnight in my office.”

Victor says through a clenched jaw,

“If Rufus needs anything, spare no expense. Even if it’s the rarest type of jellyfish venom, or corpse flower seeds.”

Oscar pats Victor’s back reassuringly.

“I’m fond of him as well, I’m taking every precaution. Victor, may I speak with you privately?”

“No no no no NO!” yells Yuri, glaring at the two of them. “I want to know what’s wrong with me, no matter how bad!”

Oscar nods and explains,

“You and Rufus have been poisoned.”

“But I feel fine...”

“Rufus took the brunt of it, but in time, you’ll become very ill.”

“I’ll take care of Yuri’s protection myself,” declares Victor. Oscar gives him a concerned look.

“There are pitfalls to becoming too attached, which you very well know. My friend, be careful, for your sake, as well as Yuri’s.”

Oscar check Yuri’s vitals, then leaves.

Once alone, Victor takes Yuri’s hand and puts a ring on it. Victor whispers some incantations. Yuri sighs and jokes,

“Is this an engagement ring...?”

“Concealment ring. It won’t protect you from magical attack, but keep regular people from thinking you’re crazy.”

“Obviously you’re planning to do something Oscar disapproves of… what is it?”

“What you’ve been requesting: anal intercourse.”

“Huh? Is that how Oscar will heal Rufus!?”

“No, he’ll use his healing palms and drain himself dry. He may be weak for a long time and it may shorten his life. That’s why I’ll take care of you.”

“Oh. How will you heal me?”

Victor paces in a circle, muttering to himself. Then he explains,

“I don’t have good healing powers. I’ll perform a spell to confer my vampire healing power to you for a moment.”

“Through my _butt_? Can’t you use my mouth or something? That’s also a virgin hole!”

Victor appears unamused by the joke.

“Yuri, this is serious. Every time we have sex, heal each other, or exchange energy, we create psychic threads between us. We already have some between us, but this ritual will create a psychic rope. It will become more and more difficult for you to live a life that doesn’t involve me.”

“That’s okay. My life was terrible before I met you, for the first time, I’m really living. Plus I don’t want to be poisoned to death.”

“Of course.”

“So… we have sex like we usually do, but add something extra?”

“No. You’ll be given nothing but water to drink, and honey to eat. You’ll stay in your room, and not talk to anyone til the ritual.”

Victor turns away, and disappears downstairs. Yuri goes to his room, and watches shows online. He’s able to watch a few minutes at a time, his laptop keeps shutting off. He feels restless, and the whole house seems to be humming with energy. At breakfast, Boris serves him a pot of honey and a spoon. Yuri is bored, and can barely stomach the horrible honey. It’s too sweet, and he’s craving a hamburger. Maybe he should sleep. Yuri lies down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. After a while, he gives up, and binges more TV. He watches minutes of _Buffy, Twilight_ , then _Shadowhunters_. He tries a workout, then watches a YouTube tutorial on making origami bats.

Nervous and unable to sleep, Yuri spins in his chair, watching the the room blur. As the chair slows, the room shifts. The furnishings become white and delicate, with pink curtains. The desk is the same. Yuri reaches underneath, and feels the underside, presses a spot, and hears a click. He looks and find a secret compartment with a locket on a gold chain. He opens it and sees a faded photo of Victor. He feels a mixture of longing and sadness when he holds it, then puts it back in its hiding place.

At sundown, Victor enters Yuri’s bedroom. The room is full of paper bats, and Yuri is braiding his hair while watching a tutorial, when his laptop goes dead again.

“Yuri?” says Victor. Yuri jumps, and quickly tries to smooth out his hair. Victor questions, “What’s that on your face?

“I can’t eat the honey anymore, I’m using it as a facial.”

“Follow me.”

Yuri quickly wipes his face, then hurries after him.

Victor goes downstairs, and unlocks a wood door. Inside the room, there are four large candles at each corner, and a huge circle with a complicated set of lines on the floor.

“Okay, this wins as Chateau Creepy’s most disturbing room.”

Victor doesn’t answer, and removes the rest of his clothing. Yuri had been looking forward to naked sex with Victor, but this isn’t what he had in mind. Still, he takes a moment to admire the body before him, the pale skin looks like alabaster, someone should make a statue of him...

“Your turn,” says Victor. Yuri closes his eyes, and replies,

“I do have self-control, you know. I can resist your perfect naked body. I want more explanations _before_ we do this.”

Victor just gives him a steely look. Yuri turns to go, and Victor says,

“ _Please._ ”

Yuri stops, and shivers at the word. Victor adds,

“It’s called the magic word.”

Yuri retorts,

“Is it that hard to explain things to me!?”

But Victor is on his knees with his eyes closed, muttering something. Yuri grunts in frustration, then starts undoing his pants.

“I’ll eventually get info out of you, Nikiforov!”

Once naked, Yuri shivers in the cold. Victor turns to him and says,

“During the spell, any words you say, or gestures you make, could affect the outcome. Therefore, the first spell will make your body unable to move, like a rag doll. And you won’t be able to speak. The emotions, the energy will be intense. If you try to avoid it, it could become painful. Try to breathe and relax into it.”

Yuri stares at him with wide eyes, then asks,

“Um, will my butt hurt? Or is this whole thing gonna suck, and by suck, I mean, be terrible?”

“I’ll make this as pleasurable as I can,” Victor replies, then says ominously. “Do you have any last words?”

“No. Yes. What happens if this goes wrong?” asks Yuri in a squeaky little voice.

“I don’t know. I don’t know any people alive who’ve done this.”

“What?! You shouldn’t have told me that!”

Yuri lies down, feeling exposed and too scared for sex. Then he finds himself assaulted by all of Victor’s sensual tricks. He moans silently, his whole is body caressed by Victor’s hands and mouth, the touching lasting so long he just wants to come... Then Victor sends a small sparkle of light up his anus, which sends a wave of relaxation reverberating through his body. Victor keeps whispering words, and Yuri watches him, yearning to be touched again. Victor’s penis is swollen and glistening with need. Victor rolls Yuri’s butt upwards, and slowly enters him, and Yuri gasps, as the fullness penetrates him. Victor has a look of concentration as he thrusts, and Yuri feels a tingling. Then Yuri feels pulsing energy from the penis in him, and Yuri shudders, while colors pulse through Victor’s eyes.

“ _Thou art mine, I am thine, together joined throughout time. As above, so below, we reap together what we sow. My essence is now yours, my body heals you_!”

Yuri’s whole body spasms in orgasm, and he can feel the waves of energy pulsing from Victor’s body into him. Then his body melts into the ground, and the sky opens up above them, and a flash of energy connects heaven and earth. Victor collapses on top of him. Yuri isn’t sure how long they lie there. Eventually, Yuri manages to mutter,

“That wasn’t sex. We were joined, not just us, but… with the planet. What spell was that?”

“Part of the eternal yolk spell. I have definitely lost my mind.”

Before dawn the next day, Victor checks Yuri three times for poisoning, and finds nothing. He does some extra wards and spells on him. Then he gives him several more amulets. Yuri walks to the university annoyed by the clinking of chains on his chest. Yuri sits in class, feeling oddly different. The grass seems greener, and vibrant. The birds outside are chirping so loudly, it’s difficult to hear the teacher lecturing. And then there’s the tree. Through the window he sees a tall redwood that seems to dominate all the other trees.

“She’s the Queen of campus, the spiritual _axis mundi_ , the connection between the worlds,” whispers the girl behind him. Yuri turns and recognizes the whore/priestess in yet another sexy medieval gown.

“How do you know that?” Yuri whispers back.

“The same way you do. I’ve experienced the _hieros gamos_ , the sacred marriage.”

“The what?”

The girl grabs her books, and gestures to join her outside.

“My name’s Persephone. I’m pagan, and we do a ritual where we use sex to commune with Gaia, the great mother, as a type of magic. You know, dagger in chalice kind of thing?”

“Oh.” Victor had mentioned there were humans without warlock powers, messing around with magical rituals. Maybe some of them had a bit of power without knowing it. “Does… Does it work with two guys?”

Persephone laughs.

“Don’t you already know the answer to that?” She twirls, then collapses onto the grass, caressing the grass with her arms. “I love to awaken people’s sensual nature, ‘coz then they feel how precious our Mother Earth is!”

After class, Yuri stops by the metaphysical shop. Yolanda greets him,

“Yuri! How nice to see you, you seem very… protected.”

Yolanda stares at the tangle of amulets Yuri is wearing. Yuri explains,

“Yeah, I was attacked, and I don’t know magical kung fu... Actually, do you have a book on the eternal yolk spell? Do eggs heal?”

Yolanda frowns, and checks a giant encyclopedia.

“I’m not familiar with that one. There’s a spell to keep eggs from rotting, to help eggs hatch, to divine your future in an egg yolk…” Yolanda closes the book. “Sorry, I’m not much help. My specialty is divination so I’ll tell you…” she closes her eyes for a moment. “Ask your medical specialist for more information.”

Yuri groans, then responds,

“You’re a good witch, but you have a twisted sense of humor.”

Yuri goes to see Doctor Deerhaven, and finds the front area empty. He calls out,

“Oscar? It’s Yuri!”

The door to the back room opens, and Yuri goes in. Rufus is laying on his stomach looking blissful on the treatment table, like he’s having a massage. Oscar has a hand on his upper back and lower back, and appears to be concentrating. Rufus opens an eye and whines,

“Oh no, don’t stop...”

“Oops, I can come back later,” apologizes Yuri. Rufus stretches like a cat, then replies,

“I should get back to work, my boss is lenient, but not that lenient.”

Rufus gathers his bag, gives Yuri an air kiss, and floats towards the door.

“Rufus... thanks for everything. You’re a truly good person,” Yuri says earnestly.

“Despite my flaming personality? I know you dislike it,” responds Rufus. Yuri insists,

“I don’t mind your personality. I like you.”

Rufus winks at him and says,

“Thanks, cupcake.”

Yuri walks over and hugs him. Rufus hugs him back, then leaves.

Oscar smiles a little, and cleans up the room. Then he sits down, suddenly looking exhausted. Yuri feels bad for bothering him.

“And what information are you seeking today?” inquires Oscar. Yuri bites his lip, and admits,

“I’m hoping you’ll tell me about the eternal yolk spell – is it for omelets?”

Oscar seems to reflect for a moment. Then he begins,

“The words of a warlock have power. When choosing words for a spell, it’s important to be precise. Are you familiar with stories of genie wishes gone wrong? There is one where a man wishes to be rich, and his name is changed to Richard. More gravely, a warlock could invoke a spell to no longer have cancer. The cancer patient dies, and in that way, no longer has cancer.”

“Does everything a warlock say come true?”

“No. The words must be said with a certain magical intent, and the warlock must have the power to make it happen. Also there are the limitations of the natural world.”

“Rufus’s spell sounded like a kid’s rhyme…”

“It’s the other way around. Many beginning spells have been overheard by children, and passed on to other children.”

“That’s neat.”

“Not really. Some spells are powerful and dangerous, and should be closely guarded. I’m afraid Maximilian and Victor were rather fond of investigating those kinds of spells. Even more surprisingly, they successfully performed many difficult and arcane spells. Most warlocks who try to turn into a vampire end up as corpses. It’s the eternal _yoke_ spell: Y-O-K-E, a wooden piece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to a plow. That spell binds the body, the heart and the soul. Maximilian believed that this would let him meet Victor in future lives. However, I have my concerns.”

Oscar brings up some photos on his computer.

“Siamese twins?” exclaims Yuri.

“Yes, conjoined twins. These girls performed a powerful love spell in a previous life.”

“Are all twins like that a consequence of magic?”

“No, most are just a genetic accident. For non-magic people, there’s no way to tell the difference.” Oscar puts his hand on Yuri’s shoulder and cautions,

“Be careful what you do and say. One never knows how a spell will come to fruition.”

After the ritual, Yuri can sense Victor’s presence. Then Victor disappears from the mansion for a few days, and Yuri wanders around the empty place, poking his head in various closets and rooms. When he senses Victor’s presence again, he nervously goes down to meet him.

Victor hears a knock at the door to his crypt. He opens it reluctantly, not sure how to treat Yuri after the ritual. Yuri goes to the center of the room, and fumbles with the buttons of his shirt. He sings,

“ _Da de da! Da de da!_ ” and throws the shirt onto the floor. Then he unbuttons his pants, and pulls them down, “ _Dum dum, da_!” He struggles to get one pant leg off, then kicks the other one off. Victor watches in dismay. It’s the most clumsy, unsexy striptease he’s ever seen. Yuri pulls off a sock, and throws it at his face. Victor peels off the item, and flicks it to the floor. Yuri starts pulling on the other sock, then remembers his underwear. He sticks his butt out towards Victor and shakes it. Before Yuri can continue, Victor protests,

“Uh... that’s enough... fine.” He stifles a laugh. “I’ll pleasure you a bit. Then you can return to your room.”

“Aren’t you a warlock? Show me _all_ your magic!” insists Yuri. Victor checks,

“You want me to use my powers?”

“Yeah... can you do more than a sparkly ball?”

“Yes.”

Yuri grins, and nods enthusiastically. Victor takes a moment to consider it. Then he slowly peels off his gloves with his teeth. It’s strangely the most erotic thing Yuri has ever seen. He swallows, feeling his throat go dry. Victor takes Yuri’s arm and blows into it, Yuri sees little red sparks enter his the inside of his arm and his whole body begins to throb. Victor mutters something under his breath, sticks a finger in his mouth, then kisses Yuri’s nipples.

“Wow, that tingles!”

“Do you like that? I can give you an oral experience which is simply magical…” offers Victor with a mischievous smile.

“Yeah… sure…”

Yuri feels a hot mouth on his erection, but also pulsing waves from Victor’s hand.

“Oooh, I’m not going to last long,” moans Yuri, arching his back onto the bed. Yuri cums strongly, grabbing onto Victor as he spasms. Yuri smiles, then pulls Victor closer.

“What should I do to you,” whispers Yuri in Victor’s ear. Victor considers, then replies,

“I’d like... tenderness, to be caressed.”

“Anything else?” Yuri sees the hesitation, and insists, “Tell me.”

“Just touch me.”

Yuri places his hands on Victor’s butt, amazed at the firm muscles. He looks down at Victor’s erection, wondering if he should stroke it, when he sees a play of lights circle around both their members.

“I saw...”

“You haven’t seen nothing yet,” Victor says sultrily, then gives a naughty smile.

Victor pleasures Yuri with several orgasms, then takes care of himself. Afterwards, Yuri lies there, absorbing the sensations being naked, and feeling another naked body nearby. The whole thing just doesn’t feel real, more like a dream he’s having. And the lust… it’s unnerving. When the switch is on, the feelings are so intense, but afterwards… It’s just weird.

“Wow, I can’t believe we did that,” remarks Yuri.

“Yet you requested the services of a gay warlock,” counters Victor, observing Yuri carefully.

“Yeah, well, let’s just say I was lucky in my choice of words. Do they teach sex magic at warlock school?”

“Not at all. School magic is rudimentary and boring. Most people learn advanced magic by becoming apprenticed to an older mage.”

“Who was this older mage that you learned sex magic from?”

Victor hesitates, then admits,

“My mentor didn’t teach me. Maximilian was apprenticed to a rather unorthodox warlock who taught him all sorts of forbidden magic. Later on, Max taught me.”

After more sexual activity, they cuddle. Victor becomes sleepy, then ceases to move. His skin becomes cool, his breathing so shallow, it can’t be heard. Yuri shouts,

“Victor. Victor! _VICTOR!!_ ”

Victor doesn’t react in the slightest. For a moment, Yuri panics, thinking Victor has died. Then he checks the time, and realizes it’s dawn. Yuri caresses Victor’s cheek. The skin is cold and waxy. Yuri understands why vampires were thought to be undead. A human would wake from a loud noise or some other danger. Yuri understands viscerally why letting another person into the crypt is showing incredible vulnerability. He looks around the room again, wishing he could do more to protect this man. Oscar thinks Yuri is in love, but that doesn’t feel right. This feels more like a primal connection, like he wants to defend his mate. Yuri sits there, watching the room for hours, til sleep overcomes him.

Yuri wakes up confused as to his location. It’s hard to tell if it’s day or night outside because of the lack of windows. But there is a large pendulum clock which says 6 o’clock. Yuri looks around, and sees his own naked body next to Victor’s.

“Oh no! Are you okay… I can’t believe I slept…”

Yuri turns towards Victor, just as Victor bears his fangs in his direction. Yuri freezes, and Victor jumps out of bed, and pulls a red packet out of a small fridge. Victor bites the packet and sucks it dry.

“Sorry, I’m famished. Yuri, could you delay your meltdown at least 5 minutes? Your stamina has been… daunting, yet thrilling,” remarks Victor. Yuri shakes his head, saying,

“I’m not having an anxiety attack. You seemed dead…”

Victor comes over and hugs him.

“Ah. Yes. Sorry, I should have prepared you. That’s why I didn’t let you stay here before... Vampires who were discovered in torpor were thought to be dead. They were often buried.”

“How horrible! Are you still afraid of death?”

“Yes, but not like before... I'm not so scared of dying, that transition is sad, but okay. But the person being gone, day after day... The loneliness is devastating....”

“I was often lonely before meeting you. I need a shower... and I have homework... Help me leave!”

Victor smiles.

“Yes, of course. Come here, say goodbye, then kiss me.”

“Goodbye.”

Yuri kisses Victor, who sucks his lips in a very erotic manner. Yuri complains,

“Ooh, that’s not fair. That wasn’t a goodbye kiss.”

“Yes, it was. It’s the kind of goodbye kiss that makes you return,” says Victor with a grin, pushing Yuri out the door.


	10. Victor’s Love

Mid-December, Yuri finishes his final exams, has his last paperwork signed, and waits to get his diploma. He wants to see Victor, but it’s torpor time. He pokes around the antique store, hoping to find an inexpensive gift for Victor.

“Cupcake? Oh my Lady of Perpetual Erections! You look amazing! And you’ve been working out… I might have to call you _beefcake_ now…” greets Rufus.

“Hi, Rufus. I’ve been using the weight room, and I’m learning to dance. How’ve you been?”

“Good, but not as good as you. You’re obviously in love, you’re glowing! Who’s the lucky man?”

“Oh... uh... I prefer not to talk about it...”

“Really Yuri! Does Victor know?”

Yuri blushes, and Rufus grimaces, adding,

“You’re in love _with_ Victor… Oh cupcake, I’m so sorry…”

Yuri frowns, and looks away. Rufus continues,

“Yuri? I completely understand the attraction. Victor is gorgeous, kind, and powerful... but I’m not sure he can fall in love with you. I’ve never met anyone so obsessed with their first love. Remember what I said about Victor becoming a vampire to help his lover?”

“Maximilian. Victor said he did it to prolong his own life, not to provide pain relief.”

“That’s true. Victor became a vampire, and then tried to convince Maximilian to do the same. Max refused, preferring to die than forgo sunlight. Victor went into a deep depression for many years after that. Have you seen Max’s tomb?”

“No. I never found anything in the garden.”

“I better show you.”

Rufus quickly closes the shop, puts up a sign that says back in half an hour, then they walk over to the mansion.

Yuri opens the gate to the outer wall, and follows Rufus into the garden area. Victor should be notified of any guests to his house, but the garden is a gray area. Rufus walks to the wall, and waves his hands next to a rose bush. A door appears in the wall. Rufus opens the door, and Yuri follows. They go down a flight of stairs and into a small stone room. There is a stone casket in the middle of the room, and the walls are covered with small black and white photographs, drawings, and dried flowers. The photos show a young pale haired man, smiling and posing in front of various places.

“He’s just some guy,” exclaims Yuri, surprised. “I thought… he’d be really beautiful, or ridiculously smart, or really talented…”

“He was a good artist, these charcoals were by him.”

Yuri nods, and examines a rendering of Victor which is quite good. Yuri’s eyes begin to water, and a lump forms in his throat.

“Victor is outside, he’s drawn the sun on his face,” sobs Yuri. Rufus takes him in his arms and whispers,

“Shush, I’m sorry, it’s cruel of me to break your heart. I just thought it would be better than you offering your heart to Victor and being refused. This was a mistake.”

Yuri sniffs and wipes his eyes, saying,

“No. I prefer to know.”

“Yuri, maybe I’m wrong. It’s true some people only fall in love once in a lifetime, but Victor has time to do it again. After all, he brought you into his house… He’s never done that for anyone else.”

“That’s because I saved his life. He made a vow to save me.”

Rufus becomes wide-eyed, and responds,

“A magical oath to protect your life? That’s a serious commitment… Do you know what that means?”

“He has to hang around, keeping muggers at bay?”

“It means if anything happens to you, it spreads to him – if you die – he’ll die soon after.”

Yuri clutches his chest, and protests,

“No… That can’t be… Victor is afraid of dying, he wouldn’t…”

Rufus drags him out of the tomb and hugs him again, then leaves to reopen the store.

Not wanting to deal with Victor, Yuri texts his sister and heads to Broadway Street. He finds the café, and feels proud that he’s able to walk into such a noisy crowd. A band is playing, and he sees his sister in black pirate garb on the bass guitar. Then she sings a song, a slow sad one, about losing one’s love. The music is loud, and powerful, and the room begins to sway, then go in and out of focus. Yuri sees men, dressed in old-fashioned suits and hats, like ghosts in between the modern customers. The decor of the pub keeps changing as well. Then he sees the image of a woman, wearing a a corset, garters and not much else singing on the stage. He scrunches his eyes, trying to focus, and reads the sign on the wall:

**Mexican women, 25¢**   
**Black, Chinese, or Japanese women, 50¢**   
**Frenchwomen 75¢**   
**American women $1.00**   
**Red-haired women (especially if Jewish): negotiable**

Yuri becomes dizzy, he staggers towards the door. For a moment the outside world looks normal with paved streets and cement sidewalks. Then he sees shorter buildings, the street turns to dirt, and the sidewalk is made out of wooden boards. He sees signs that say:

 _The Living Flea, The Sign of the Red Rooster, Ye Old Whore House_...

Panicked, Yuri runs down Stockton street, takes a left on Pacific, and looks up at a three-story building called ‘ _The Nymphia_ ’... For a moment he can see through the building, mostly chunky women that are all naked… He passes out.

Yuri comes back to consciousness feeling something cold and hard beneath him. He’s sitting on a sidewalk. Mari is holding his hand,

“Yuri, are you okay? Do you need a doctor?”

“No! I just had too much to drink… Can you give me a ride home?”

Mari nods and replies,

“I’ll take the band van. I won’t be able to stay with you, though, is that okay?”

Yuri nods, trying to keep it together in front of Mari.

Yuri walks quickly into the mansion, and collapses in the atrium. He’s not sure how long he lies there, then Victor picks him up and places him on the couch. Yuri mumbles,

“I… I need a doctor. Things are blurry, and people appear and disappear. I hear voices, but no one’s there. Like ghosts.”

Yuri notices that Oscar Deerhaven is already there.

“Describe what you saw,” asks Oscar, ready with a notepad. Yuri retells what happened. Oscar nods his head, then reassures him,

“It’s possible you’re able to see into the past. That area of San Francisco was called the Barbary Coast. It was an infamous red light district, with saloons, brothels and opium dens.”

“Yuri, you’re gaining more powers,” responds Victor excitedly. Oscar shakes his head.

“Victor, I agree your protégé has psychic powers, but that doesn’t mean he’s a warlock. The sexual awakening was weeks ago,” argues Oscar. Victor replies,

“Oscar, full naked intercourse was days ago.”

Oscar looks surprised, Yuri hides his face in embarrassment at the topic, yet mumbles behind his fingers,

“So… if I’m a warlock, what powers will I have? Are things going to keep on appearing and disappearing? Harry Potter started talking to snakes…”

Oscar replies,

“Normally, you inherit the powers of your parents.”

“My parents? They’re normal. Completely Muggle,” insists Yuri. Oscar says gently,

“Yuri… This is not Harry Potter. I’ve never heard of a warlock appearing in a non-magical family. It’s genetic.”

Yuri frowns, trying to process what that means. He exclaims,

“So… I’m adopted?! But they look just like me! I have photos of my mom pregnant with me – this can’t be!” Yuri shakes his head emphatically. “You’re just deluded or playing some weird game with me!”

Yuri runs up to his room and slams the door.

Victor comes in later and tries to touch Yuri. Yuri turns away, and insists,  
“You still love Max, that’s why you didn’t want to be with me. Leave me alone!”

Victor sighs, then leaves. Sometime later, Rufus enters the room.

“What do you want?” Yuri asks rudely. Rufus grabs a chair and sits down.

“Oscar left, a teen warlock got cursed with chicken legs. He asked me to look after you. What happened at the Broadway café?”

Yuri relents and admits,

“Uh… well… it was like a ghost brothel from the wild west…?”

“Really? So it’s like historical porn? That’s a cool magical ability!”

Rufus grabs his phone, and tries to turn it on, tapping it in frustration. Meanwhile Yuri wraps himself in a blanket and tries to sleep.

Yuri’s parents show up for the graduation, and he doesn’t know what to say to them. He gives them a hug, then stands silently nearby. Mari tells them about the art major. They’re stunned and don’t even react when Mari asks for cheek swabs. A few weeks later, Yuri meets with Mari and she hands him an envelope. He tears it open with his shaking hands. Mari says,

“Relax, little brother, it just says our ethnicity. You’re worried that you’re actually Korean or something? You need to get back on your bat medication.”

Yuri opens up the paper, and checks it against his own.

“It’s not an ethnicity test. I lied about that. It’s a paternity test.”

“You think mom cheated on dad? No way…”

“According to this test, neither mom nor dad are my parents. Though they are biologically related to me. They could be my aunt and uncle, or my cousins.”

“That’s impossible! Mom was pregnant, she came back from the hospital with you,” protests Mari. Yuri shrugs helplessly.

“I don’t know what happened either. I don’t know where I came from. I need to go.”

Mari watches him disappear in shock, re-examining the piece of paper.

Graduating from college gives Yuri free time, and he begins magic lessons. Oscar teaches him about healing, Yolanda about psychic readings, and Rufus teaches him some divination spells for antiques. Yuri avoids Victor, unable to deal with his feelings for him. Yuri should get another job, and move out. Maybe even move to a different city.

Later at the antique shop, Yuri places his hands on his head and chants,

“ _Ring-a-round the rosie, a pocket full of posies, a tissue, a tissue, allergies back down!_ ”

Yuri sneezes,

“Aah – chooo!”

Rufus hands him a tissue. Yuri complains,

“I’m a terrible warlock. I can’t heal the little mouse Oscar gave me. I told Yolanda she’d soon date a tall dark handsome man, and this little blonde showed up. Turns out it’s her wife. Her wife wasn’t amused.”

Rufus hands him a wooden urn with a thick wooden handle.

“You have a gift for seeing the past, not the future. Tell me about this object. Doesn’t it look like an antique dildo?”

Yuri rolls his eyes at him, then places his hands on the object.

“It’s a… butter churn, mid-nineteenth century. Wow, this woman sure spend a lot of time churning butter!”

“My, my, another sex worker? We should go to Rome, you could see some orgies.”

Yuri sticks his tongue out at him.

A few days later, Yuri dusts items at the antique shop, practicing small spells when business gets slow. Yuri tries to make a piece of paper move by waving his hand, but nothing works, and he finally just blows it off the desk with his breath. Rufus asks,

“Are you going to make up with Victor?”

“Rufus, Victor was with me ‘coz he had to, and still loves Maximilian.”

“Victor still has feelings for you, relationships aren’t perfect.”

Yuri clenches his fists and responds.

“That makes sense, but when I think about this Max guy, this ball of anger burns in my stomach. I don’t want just a part of Victor, I want all of him. I want him to want _me_ , love _me_ more than anyone! I can’t settle for less…”

“Right…” responds Rufus, like he’s calming down a crazy person. “I could set you up with a cute guy,” offers Rufus helpfully. Yuri shakes his head.

“I’m not interested. I should be though, right? I mean, dealing with a nocturnal vampire isn’t great. Can you check me for a love spell or something? Ever since meeting Victor, I’ve been acting strangely, not like myself at all.”

“You think somebody enchanted you to fall in love with Victor? Who would do that? Love spells are actually pretty difficult. You’re not making any sense, cupcake. Give yourself time to get over Victor, then start dating.”

“What about you, Rufus?” Yuri looks at the other man, frowning. “You’re tall, muscled, pretty face,… you’re actually quite attractive!”

Rufus gives him an exasperated look.

“What a horrible compliment!” Rufus imitates Yuri’s voice “Wow, Rufus, I’ve been so busy staring at my incredibly gorgeous vampire, I didn’t even notice you’re halfway decent looking.”

Yuri looks down sheepishly and responds,

“Sorry. I’ve been trying to pay attention to other guys... Wow! I can’t believe I’m saying that. I like _guys_.” Yuri shakes himself, then whines, “I miss the sex. With Victor, every kiss, every touch was… mind blowing. Should I ask Victor to teach me his sex magic tricks?”

Rufus becomes wide-eyed, and demands,

“Did you say sex magic?” Rufus closes his eyes and looks irritated. “You’re the luckiest little twerp! Victor never let on that he knew sex magic… Nobody knows that stuff, even though it’s a common pickup line at mage bars.” Rufus takes a deep breath, then huffs, “Well... I never did like getting bitten anyways.”

Yuri stares at him, suddenly remembering Rufus sitting on Victor’s lap. Yuri can feel a wave of anger go through his body, then he hears Rufus say,

“Send the energy downwards. Into the earth.”

Yuri does as he’s told, and there’s a slight rumbling into the ground, like when a truck passes nearby.

“Thanks,” whispers Yuri, still trembling a little. Rufus sighs in relief and remarks,

“I’d rather be not crushed by a building because of a magical jealous rage.”

Yuri sits on the floor quietly for a while. Then he whispers,

“I… I’m sorry. It’s like… I’m furious that Victor’s had this whole life without me… and he’s never bitten _me_ …”

“Never?! What do you do in bed?”

Yuri recoils, not sure how to answer. Finally he admits,

“Usually I lie on my back, and Victor does stuff to me, uh, you know…”

“Okay. But then, what do you do to him?”

“I hug him. Sometimes we kiss.”

“That’s it? How does Victor cum?”

Yuri bites his lip, and stares at the floor. Then he adds reluctantly,

“He takes care of it... himself?”

Rufus throws his arms up in disbelief. He exclaims,

“You’re a pillow princess! Well I’m not gonna sugarcoat it for you, honey… You’re not revving his engines enough to be bitten.”

Yuri collapses on the floor and hugs himself. Victor must think he’s the worst… Yuri glances over at Rufus and asks,

“How... how did you have sex with Victor?”

“Honey, we shouldn’t talk about that.”

“No... I meant… Victor told me if you do it face-to-face, warlocks can become bonded…?”

Yuri hides his face in his hands, feeling his cheeks burn.

“Oh that. When I have casual sex, I do it doggy style.”

Yuri doesn’t want to picture that, and instead imagines two dogs humping. Yuck.

After a few minutes, Yuri regains his composure and says,

“Oh. Um... so back to your love life...”

Rufus shrugs, then admits,

“Lately, I’m really interested in someone. It’s rather unnerving. I’m not sure how to approach it.”

“Usually, you flirt with everyone. Have you asked this guy out?”

“No. His demeanor is not conducive to that.”

Yuri frowns, then bites his lip.

“Rufus… are you interested in me?” questions Yuri nervously. Rufus rolls his eyes and clarifies,

“I like an older man as well, well, not as old as Victor. I’ve tried a couple times to get the ball rolling, but he’s just so… stoic. It’s too bad, healing hands are so sexy.”

“Healing hands... you mean like a doctor? You like Doctor Deerhaven?” exclaims Yuri in surprise. Rufus waves his hands upwards and sighs.

The next day, Yuri goes to visit Dr. Deerhaven. Oscar greets him with,

“How are you feeling today?”

“I… I… How would I know if I’ve been affected by a love potion? How is it different from actual love?”

“Well, I’d be suspicious if you suddenly felt overwhelming feelings for someone you disliked previously, not your type. In addition, if that person were a warlock…”

“So… suddenly falling madly in love with a gay vampire might qualify,” Yuri moans at the realization. “Can you check my body with a crystal again?”

Oscar nods and pulls out a cotton gown with a rainbow unicorn pattern.

“Remove your clothes, and cover yourself. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Oscar comes back with a tray of items, and methodically scans Yuri’s body with various stones and wands. Yuri mentions,

“Uh... nice robe... you like unicorns?”

“It’s gift from from Rufus, he said my paper robes are too thin.”

Yuri lays there, and after a while, gets anxious. He inquires,

“Anything?”

“Small traces of unintentional magic, like when an angry person curses you in the street.”

“So I can go?”

“Mmmm,” Oscar replies. Yuri sits up in a panic and says,

“Uh oh! I know what that means, it means you found something... Is it a love spell?”

“Actually, I’m not sure what it is…?” Oscar frowns, then admits, “On top of your head… a place of concentrated power.”

“So… not the normal kind of spell? It wasn’t there before?”

“Not that I recall. And there’s only one person I can think of who might know about this…”

“Victor?”

“Ah Toy. She was born in 1828, she was the first Chinese woman to arrive in San Francisco. Alma may be the most powerful vampire in San Francisco today, but Ah Toy knows more about the occult arts than anyone.”

“I remember her! And she does consultations?”

“No. She lives in San Jose, and rarely sees people.”

The next night, Yuri and Rufus go ballroom dancing. Yuri dances with several guys, and although his dancing has improved, there’s no spark with any of them. He leaves the place early, and recklessly walks through Golden Gate Park at night. He uses his magical sight to avoid other people, but by the time he reaches the other side, his heart is pounding. He relaxes a bit once he reaches the neighborhood near the mansion. Then he sees a familiar white poodle, Lady Diamond, laying in an alleyway. Concerned, Yuri calls an emergency vet. Then everything goes dark.


	11. The Mission

Yuri wakes up unable to move. There’s a cloth in his mouth, and he’s blindfolded. He hears a rustling sound, sees a white light, then everything goes dark again. Yuri lays there, in the darkness, alone. He’s not sure what to do, or how to get away, and he can feel the adrenaline coursing through his body. He’s shaking slightly, and it’s difficult to think. But he’s not having a panic attack. A part of him feels strong and protected, as if Victor is here. Victor said they were connected, with a psychic rope. Can this rope lead Victor to him? Yuri closes his eyes behind the blindfold, and takes a deep breath through his nose. He imagines Victor, then he focuses on what he can feel in this room. The musty dampness, the darkness he can see through the blindfold, the faint noise of people outside. Then he imagines a flare gun exploding up into the sky, showing Victor where he is. Exhausted from trying to focus, he lets himself pass out for a bit. Time passes, maybe hours, Yuri feels hungry and thirsty. The darkness makes it hard to know how long he’s been there.

A long time later, his blindfold is pulled down. In the dark, he makes out a small room with stone walls. There’s a person wearing a scarf, a trench coat and gloves.

BANG! BANG!

The person collapses on the floor with a thump. It takes a moment for Yuri to realize the person on the ground has been shot. In the shadows, a figure limps forward. An old and scarred face of a man removes Yuri’s gag. Yuri’s head is spinning, his throat is dry. His head hurts, and he closes his eyes. The man says,

“You’re the one that cursed vampire likes. For Rosa’s sake, you will feel so much pain.” 

He takes a knife, and slices at Yuri’s face. Yuri winces, but his face doesn’t hurt.

A woman’s voice says,

“Clemente! You’ll regret this.”

The old man jerks away in surprise and yells back,

“Rosa? This is for you! That vampire took away our happiness, he toyed with you, and he kept you from heaven. He’s a devil and he’ll take you to hell.”

The woman’s voice responds,

“Clemente, you never did understand about love. This is your final warning. I’ll protect him with all my might.”

In frustration, the old man slaps Yuri across the face, and there’s a tingle on his cheek. The woman’s voice yells,

“ _Cross my fingers and hope you die, stick a needle in your eye!_ ”

The old man crumples to the ground, clutching his head. The other man on the ground stands up carefully, holding his side in pain. His scarf falls away from his face, and Yuri recognizes him. He croaks,

“Victor?! You’re hurt... Oh no...”

“It’s dawn, I’m using all my magic to move. Don’t take me to… hospital.”

Yuri looks at the dark spot spreading on Victor’s front and urges him,

“Drink my blood! You need it.”

Victor protests weakly,

“You need your strength.”

Yuri focuses on the anxious feelings bubbling on the edges of his consciousness. Then he says tremulously to Victor,

“I’m terrified! I... I can’t stand it any longer... take some blood so I can pass out.”

Yuri watches Victor hesitate, then bites Yuri’s arm. Yuri feels a stabbing pain, then he relaxes and drifts off a bit.

Yuri comes back to consciousness as Rufus puts him in a car, and drives to the mansion. Yuri passes out again, but this time wakes up with Oscar bandaging his arm. Yuri says feebly,

“What happened? Did the man die? Did the dog die?”

Oscar replies,

“Your kidnapper had a retinal aneurysm burst and hemorrhage. He’s in the hospital, in critical condition. I’m not sure what dog you’re referring to. You were missing for days, and we finally tracked you to your location. Excuse me, I need to check on Victor.”

Oscar puts his crystals and potions back into his bag, preparing to go downstairs. Rufus gives Yuri a quick hug, and Yuri gives a tired smile. Rufus says,

“You scared me, cupcake! How are you feeling?”

“Okay. It’s strange, all my life I’ve been afraid of the dark. Now the worst is happened and… I’m not scared anymore. I’m just tired.”

But Yuri suddenly has a terrible feeling, and stumbles downstairs to Victor’s crypt, almost collapsing several times from fatigue. The door is open and Victor is lying on his bed looking horribly ill. There are bandages on his chest, dark circles around his eyes, and his skin looks gray.

“He looks terrible, really dead, not undead! Can you help him?” wails Yuri. Oscar replies earnestly,

“I’ll do my best. Victor used some very draining magic to locate you. In addition, I’ve been informed Victor made an oath to protect your life. The attacks on you reverberated on to him.”

“He’s like this because of _me_?”

“You’re safe and better now, that should help him. Vampires heal quickly, that’s why their hair and nails grow so fast.”

Yuri sits there helplessly, as Oscar performs various spells.

“I’ve done what I can. Yuri, you must lie down as well. Remember, taking care of yourself will help Victor.”

“Can I stay here? I wanna stay…”

Oscar nods, and arranges a blanket on top of Yuri. Yuri notices Oscar’s hands, they are big and hairy, not at all like Victor’s elegant long fingers. People have funny attractions. Yuri waits till Oscar is gone, then strokes Victor’s fingers. Yuri remembers what Victor said something about the palm of the hand being a center of power. Yuri turns Victor’s hand over, and places his palm touching Victor’s palm. He closes his eyes and says,

“ _Wake up_!”

There’s a weird feeling, like he’s falling, and Yuri can still feel his body, but he can also feel Victor’s body. There is pain, and darkness, and sadness… Yuri feels like he’s drowning in dark despair…

_Victor is lying on the ground in the basement spell room. There is a very complicated sigil on the floor, designs on the walls and on the ceiling. There are candles everywhere, and a huge pool of blood. Another man comes into the room, moving with grace and composure. He is wearing an 18th-century style coat, breeches, and buckle shoes. The man checks Victor’s neck, then begins to whisper words. The room begins to shake and glow, and the man slashes his wrist, and drips some of his blood into Victor’s mouth._

“ _Now you will die. And you will see the realms of hell. If you make your way back to this body, you will live again.”_

The connection is wrenched away, and Yuri returns to his body. He opens his eyes and sees Victor watching him.

“You’re alright,” says Victor, weakly. Yuri nods and replies,

“Yeah. Victor, I need to tell you something,” begins Yuri.

“Yuri, _please_... don’t use your palm on me again. It’s dangerous.”

“I’m not afraid of your curse, if that’s what you mean,” reassures Yuri. “I’m in love with you.”

“Yuri, I know you feel this way. But, you’re easily impressionable, latching on to the first person showing you affection. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you. Go and meet kids your own age.”

“Kids my own age? Victor I’m young, but I’m an adult. I was confused at first, but I know my own heart. If you don’t love me, just say so. There’s no need to act like I’m 12.”

Irritated that Victor has made him feel like a inadequate child again, Yuri leaves the room. He crawls up the stairs, and passes out on his mattress.

Yuri sleeps several days. He wakes to a gray morning, and jolts upright, wondering how Victor is... He goes downstairs and finds Oscar asleep on the couch. He hates to wake him up, but checks anyway,

“How is Victor?”

Oscar yawns, then replies,

“Better. Hopefully, you both will be safe now.”

“Good... uh, thanks. Do you need anything?”

Oscar shakes his head and says,

“No. I can go home.”

Yuri watches Victor for a while, then decides to investigate what happened to his kidnapper.

He arrives at UCSF Medical Center, then nervously asks at the reception,

“Hi… I found an old man in trouble yesterday, his eye was bleeding… Is he okay?”

“Are you his family?” asks the receptionist.

“Uh... no... I have no idea who he is.”

“I’m sorry, hospital policy doesn’t allow me to divulge any information about patients.”

Yuri nods, and sits down at a nearby chair. He could dress up as a nurse and fake his way into the patient’s room. He doesn’t have the courage to do that. Instead, he wonders what would Yolanda do… and ends up sitting in the waiting area for several hours. He texts the owner of the poodle, and learns the poodle is sick, but recovering. He’s just about to leave when he hears,

“I’m looking for a man in his sixties, Mexican, scars all over his face... He’s my uncle, he’s missing.”

“His name?”

“Clemente Espinosa.”

“He was brought in with a retinal aneurysm, and he’s now in a coma. Do you have his insurance information?”

Yuri leaves in a hurry, glad to know more information about his attacker. 

Once back home, Yuri searches online for Clemente Espinosa, and finds an old article about a car crash. In 1995, a cable car going up Hyde Street, a very steep hill, got loose from its cable and went careening downwards. At Bay Street, the cable car hit a station wagon. The gas tank exploded, and the fiery 6 ton ball of flames crashed into several more cars, damaging 10 cars in all. 43 people were injured, 2 people died of burns. There were 2 people inside the station wagon: Clemente Espinosa, and his wife, Rosa Espinosa. Rosa and a 3-year-old boy died of burn related injuries. That's why the man who attacked looked like he’d been through a war. He’d been injured and burned in this car accident. But the woman’s voice? If Rosa is dead, did he hear a ghost? Overwhelmed, Yuri sets aside the whole topic, and work on his own magical powers.

Yuri works most days, then spends his nights pouring over various books on magic and spells, till he passes out in the back of the antique shop. He barely talks and refuses to go out. Rufus watches worriedly, then goes to see Victor.

“What the _bejeesu_ s happened!?” demands Rufus. Victor frowns a bit, then replies,

“I need a little bit more context to your question.”

Rufus rolls his eyes, and explains in a furious tone,

“With Yuri! The kid discovered sex. He discovered he’s gay. He learns he’s adopted, he also learns you care about him out of obligation. And he’s kidnapped, and discovers he’s a warlock. Not necessarily in that order. And yet, he was fine. Not great, but managing. Then something happened with you, something that pushed him over the edge. WHAT WAS IT?!”

Victor blinks many times, then reluctantly admits,

“I told him his feelings for me weren’t genuine. He just hasn’t gone out, and explored the world…”

Rufus slaps Victor. Victor stands there unmoving. Rufus continues,

“Yuri has his faults, he’s naïve, whiny, and talks way too much about the history of dishware. But if Yuri says he loves you, he _really_ loves you. Keep an eye on him, he’s in danger. I’ll watch him during the day, you’re in charge of nights.”

Rufus throws a piece of paper at Victor and storms off. Victor unfolds it then reads,

_Ways to undo a debt of life vow: counterspell? Moving far away?_ _Commit suicide_ _? According to the_ _Encyclopedia Magica_ _a debt of life vow requires protection from outside forces, but if the recipient willingly kills themselves, the person under vow is not harmed._

Victor crumples the piece of paper, then smooths it out, and yells,

“Boris! I’ll be doing spells in the basement, don’t disturb me - unless it’s Yuri.”

Around midnight, Yuri stands at the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge, shaking from fear and cold. The water down below is icy, and supposedly, if the impact doesn’t kill you, the currents drag your body out to a sea to be eaten by great white sharks. Yuri climbs the railing. At the top, he hangs on, the wind gusting in various directions. Yuri closes his eyes, and clears his mind. In magic lessons, he was told to focus on an image. Yuri imagines the picture in detail, the colors, the smells. He takes a deep breath, then holds on tighter to the railing. Then he feels it, a scream of hopelessness tearing through his insides… He yells as loud as he can,

“STOP!!”

He shuffles to the right, grasping the railing so tightly his fingers go numb. Finally, he reaches out and grabs an arm. A face turns towards him: young, thin, with messy brown hair. The teenager looks at him blankly, then lets go of the railing. There’s a sickening feeling in his stomach as Yuri falls, then a jerk, as he is pulled upwards. Yuri lands on the scaffolding of the lower part of the bridge, on all fours, shaking uncontrollably. The messy haired kid lands in a heap next to him. Yuri slowly looks up at a figure standing there. Victor’s face is snarling, enraged. Yet Yuri turns to the jumper kid and asks,

“Are you okay? Uh... that’s a stupid question... you must be hurting bad... Victor help him!”

There’s a blur, Victor bites the kid, and the kid slumps to the ground. Victor barks,

“Dying to be rid of me?”

He bares his fangs and hisses. Yuri explains,

“I was trying to save you, so you’d no longer be bound to me... I had to risk my life, so you wouldn’t die... I couldn’t live with that... instead I saved this kid…”

Yuri tries to continue, but relents due to chattering teeth. Victor takes off his trench coat, and wraps it around him. He growls,

“You’re a terrible fool. Stupid, lovesick fool.”

Yuri feels Victor hug him, and shower him with little kisses.

Victor takes him back to the mansion, then forces him into a hot bath. Yuri continues to shiver, even in the steamy water. Victor keeps adding more hot water, and looks frustrated at being helpless. Yuri puts out his hand, placing his wrist up towards Victor. Victor looks relieved, and gives a quick nip.

“You could have died today,” Victor says tensely. Yuri stops shaking and explains,

“I left you enough clues for you to save me, but if there was no danger, the oath wouldn’t be broken.”

“Yuri, just… tell me what you need, I’ll do anything to make you happy, _please_ never try to harm yourself again…” Victor says intensely. Yuri nods and pats Victor’s head.

“I won’t. But you should stay away from me...”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m bound to you by something stronger than a life oath. My love transcends blood.”

Yuri grabs Victor’s shirt,and pulls him into the bathtub. He tugs at Victor’s wet clothes, ripping them off. Frantically he kisses Victor, and before he knows it Victor’s hot penis is thrusting inside of him, and the water is sloshing everywhere. Yuri registers Victor’s eyes turning red and his mouth open... Yuri tilts his head back to offer his neck, and he feels a weird mixture of pleasure and pain rip through his body as the teeth sink into his neck.

Victor puts Yuri to bed, and disappears. Yuri tosses and turns, then checks his neck with a small mirror. The bite area is puffy and bruised, and hurts terribly. This is much worse than he was expecting. There’s a soft knock on the door, and Yuri grabs the nearest piece of clothing, and wraps it around his neck. Then he says,

“Uh... come in.”

Rufus bursts through the door, with Oscar behind him. Oscar checks Yuri thoroughly, then inquires,

“Do you need that sock around your neck?”

“Uh... yes, I have a hickey...”

Rufus’s jaw drops as Oscar removes the sock.

“A hickey?! You’ve been mauled!!”

Oscar gives Rufus a glance, then places his palm on the wound, and Yuri feels a painful burning. Then the doctor switches hand, and he feels a cool soothing touch. Meanwhile Rufus wags his finger at him, ranting,

“Did Oscar give you a frequent user punch card? 10 medical visits and you get a free toaster? Really Yuri, I’m about to hand you my drama queen crown, and strangle you with it!”

Yuri responds tiredly,

“Rufus, I’m fine. Do you think... it worked? Did I free Victor from the life oath?”

Rufus huffs, then replies,

“I dunno. Magic isn’t that precise... it might depend exactly on what Victor said...”

Yuri sighs and asks,

“Where is Victor?”

Rufus looks at Yuri’s neck and grimaces, then glances at Oscar and says,

“I think... he went to have a drink. I think I need a drink.”

Oscar goes to his bag and searches for something. Yuri motions for Rufus to come closer, then he whispers,

“Victor said something to me. I thought he was saying he loved me but, that wasn’t quite it. He said _‘My love transcends blood.’_ ”

Rufus whispers back,

“Maybe he was famished, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Oscar comes beside them, and says,

“Are you two done whispering? Yuri, take this potion twice a day, a strong fright can shake your soul loose and make you susceptible to possession.”

Yuri checks,

“Possession by a ghost?”

“Yes. By a ghost or a spirit…” Oscar checks his watch, “I missed dinner again.”

Yuri glances at Rufus.

“Uh, Oscar, are you married or something?” asks Yuri, while Rufus gives him a dirty look. Oscar shakes his head,

“I occasionally go on dates, but I find it difficult to have a relationship when I get called in for medical emergencies at all hours. I tried dating another doctor, but that was even worse.”

“A male doctor or a female doctor?” questions Yuri. This time Rufus jabs him with his elbow. Oscar frowns at Rufus.

“A female doctor. Why do you ask?”

Rufus gives a pained look at Yuri, saying,

“Yuri is playing matchmaker, he wants to send you on a blind date. Yuri, focus on your own love life, it’s enough of a challenge.”

Rufus grabs his bag, and sashays out the door. Oscar methodically puts his supplies away in his black bag. Oscar remarks,

“You two have become close. Is Rufus dating someone?”

“Uh... no. But he likes healing hands,” Yuri blurts out, hoping Rufus doesn’t hate him for this. Oscar raises an eyebrow.

“Is that so?” remarks Oscar quietly and leaves.


	12. The Spell

A few days later, Rufus sits Yuri down, and tells him,

“Show me your neck.”

Yuri drops his head, pulls back his shirt, and reluctantly admits,

“Uh... at the time we did stuff, it barely hurt, but now it’s swollen and really painful!”

Rufus nods and says sympathetically,

“Yeah, I know. Once the analgesic from the vampires spit wears off, it’s tough tomatoes!” Rufus pats Yuri’s shoulder. “That’s how I met Oscar, he treated my neck for bites. I was impressed that a doctor wouldn’t make me feel bad for having a crush on a vampire.” Rufus pats the shoulder again then adds,

“Your shoulder sigil... It’s faint, but I might be able to trace it.”

“How?”

“I’ll conjure your memories. You might recall something that leads us to the warlock who did this to you.”

“When can we start?”

Rufus wrinkles his nose.

“I need to empty a room. And you need to fast for 24 hours. And…”

“And?”

“You need to be butt naked.”

“Butt naked? You mean completely naked or just my behind showing?”

Rufus covers his eyes with his hand, saying,

“Completely. Don’t mention the other one again, I need to stay professional, cupcake.”

“I don’t get it. Why does magic always involve not eating and getting naked? I thought I’d have to learn Latin, something _hocus pocusy_!”

“Our magic works best when our defenses are down. Therefore we use nudity, sensory deprivation, fasting, or sometimes sensory overload…”

“Um, okay. But get me something to cover my groin... you know, a fig leaf or something?”

Rufus sighs dramatically and complains,

“And I thought having a hot young disciple was going to be fun!”

The next day, Yuri arrives to find Rufus has moved his bedroom furniture into the living room. His bed is sideways against one wall, and there’s barely enough room to move through the hall. Yuri walks into the now empty bedroom, with purple walls and a few bent nails. On the floor is a circle in salt, with lines drawn in between it. Rufus comes in, and gives him a small floral tea towel.

“You need to lie down carefully, so as not to smudge the lines. The towel is for your decency.”

Rufus turns around. Yuri undresses and shivers a bit in the cold. He lies down, and places the towel over his crotch. He feels horribly exposed, and hopes Rufus isn’t a serial killer. It would suck to be discovered naked in salt with this ugly towel. He whispers,

“I’m ready.”

Rufus turns around, and takes a deep breath. Yuri’s stomach makes a grumbling noise from the lack of food. Rufus shakes his head, and replies,

“I know, I know, I haven’t eaten either. Focus, Yuri.”

Rufus concentrates silently for a moment, then declares,

“ _I spy with my little eye, Yuri Katsuki’s shoulder spell life…_ ”

Yuri groans at the poor rhyme, then he hears his own voice say,

“There’s a crib. And a kid’s bed in the room. I’m crying, oh, a boob. The milk is good. I’m sleeping. But now there’s a pain, a pain in my shoulder. It’s burning! Ow! I’m beginning to cry, oh it stops, there’s a prick on my neck…”

Yuri suddenly struggles, flailing inside the salt circle. Rufus waves his hands and says,

“Come back now, remember what you saw and felt.”

Rufus grabs a short pink bathrobe, and wraps it around Yuri. Then he helps him out of the room. They sit on the couch, side-by-side, Yuri leaning on Rufus’s shoulder. Between the lack of food, lack of sleep, and the energy used, they are both exhausted. There’s a knock at the door, but Rufus ignores it. Then the locks undo themselves, and the door slams open. Victor walks in, and observes the two of them.

“Yuri, are you all right?” inquires Victor. Yuri nods imperceptibly. “Do you need anything?” Yuri shakes his head. Victor turns towards Rufus, and continues icily,

“My apologies for barging in unannounced. Take extremely good care of him, or I’ll skin you alive. Good night.”

Victor leaves. Rufus gets up, grabs a banana, peels it, and hands it to Yuri.

“Well, that was dramatic. I’ve never been the other woman before… Shall I call him back?”

Yuri wolfs down the entire banana, then shakes his head.

“I need some time. Rufus, the warlock that branded me… It was a vampire. I didn’t see a face, though.”

Rufus gives a quick whistle.

“Where did you live as a baby?”

“San Francisco, in the Mission District. My parents moved to Seattle when I was five, but I returned here to go to college.”

“Well… several vampires lived in San Francisco. Alma Spreckels is the most powerful, but John Burnell and Ah Toy, were definitely around 23 years ago.”

“And Victor.”

“And Victor. For some reason, someone knew you were a mage baby? Come on, cupcake, get dressed. I need answers, or the curiosity is gonna kill me.”

Rufus shows up at Victor’s door, supporting Yuri under one arm. Victor gives a crisped expression, but quickly picks up Yuri and places him gently on the couch. Rufus announces loudly,

“Victor! I’m insulted you suspect me of having sex with your sweet and handsome boy. I’m a flirt, not a homewrecker – I _demand_ an apology!”

Victor flinches a bit, then says,

“I’m sorry if in my jealousy, I misconstrued the situation. Yuri has never made any promises to me, he's free to frequent whom he chooses.”

Yuri says accusingly,

“That’s just it, Victor. I haven’t been free, because of you. You put this sigil on my shoulder – why?!”

Yuri looks at him expectantly, wondering if he’s wrong. Victor walks over to the fireplace, and places his hand on the mantle.

“In 1995, a young woman named Rosa Espinosa was in a car accident. She was a dear friend, I was at the hospital trying to keep her alive. She was an unusually powerful witch, and as she died, she performed one last spell. She wanted to be reborn into the body of a boy. I helped her with that spell, and I saw her spirit leave her body and jump into a room a few doors down. I projected my spirit into that room, and I saw a woman give birth to Yuri. As the nurse placed Yuri on his mom, I saw a spirit flash, denoting a future warlock. Later on, I inquired about your family, and I learned they had no powers. I snuck into your room once a month for a year, in order to place the sigil. I wanted to protect you from hurting your family, or being placed into a mental institution.”

Yuri’s body, already stressed from the spell, begins to shake. Victor comes towards him, but Yuri puts his arm out defensively. Rufus helps Yuri up to his room, then comes back and tells Victor,

“Yuri and I did a spell earlier to trace the sigil. He’s exhausted. No wonder you took him in, you’ve been watching him his entire life.”

“Aside from when he was a baby, I stayed away, hoping his life would be as normal as possible. But the night he lost his room, he did a soul cry. I had to respond.”

Rufus announces,

“Victor, let me be clear. I’m still your friend. But Yuri is my priority.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” replies Victor.

Yuri shuts himself in his room, not able to eat or sleep. Eventually, Victor comes in with some food, and caresses Yuri’s face with his fingers. Yuri slaps them away, accusing,

“Why wait til I’m 23? You like to deflower old virgins?”

Victor sighs. Then he confesses,

“The spell was supposed to dissipate at age 16. Maybe because you didn’t want to admit to being gay, you repressed yourself, and somehow kept the spell active. My plan was to teach you about magic once you finished high school... then after university, however, that took a bit longer than anticipated.”

Yuri responds with his arms crossed,

“So you’ve been spying on me... And what exactly was the plan?”

“Introduce myself as a magic teacher with a few showy spells. But I was attacked by those men sent by Clemente.”

“And I saved you?”

“You helped, but I would’ve defeated those men alone.”

“So you pretended to be grateful... Why do the life vow?”

“Because of your soul scream. When a person is truly contemplating suicide, one can hear a silent cry… You needed someone.”

“Like that kid on the bridge."

"Yes."

"So you’re safe now, Clemente is in the hospital.”

“No, someone else has been attacking me. There has been several magical attempts. Some days, I’ve spent at my secondary lair in Pacifica do to some divination spells. Yuri, I’m worried about you,” whispers Victor, caressing Yuri’s cheek. Yuri turns away and retorts,

“You don’t need to pretend – you _had_ to seduce me, but not anymore. I’ll continue with some other guy.”

“You admit to wanting a man, that’s progress. I admit I had ulterior motives, but I also have more basic desires. I’ve never faked my attraction to you. I desire you, Yuri Katsuki.”

Yuri shrugs unconvinced, noticing that Victor didn’t say anything about love.

A few days later, Rufus visits Yuri. Rufus taps his head and says,

“Rosa Espinosa. Why does that name seem familiar? It’s been bugging me. I’ve seen it somewhere…”

“Rosa was the name of the person Clemente talked to when I was kidnapped – and his last name was Espinosa, as well. Maybe his wife, or sister?”

“Okay. So Clemente kidnapped you because he knew you were Rosa?”

“Clemente kidnapped me because he wanted to punish Victor. But maybe it’s a different Rosa, I heard the woman talk to him.”

“And Rosa Espinosa is dead. That’s it! I’ve seen the name before because I’m a snoop. I saw it near the tomb.”

Rufus gets up, and heads outside towards the garden. Yuri follows him.

“This is the entrance to Maximilian’s tomb. To the left of it, there’s the rosebush. Rosa means rose, and look behind the bush,” explains Rufus, pointing to a plaque with the name _Rosa Espinosa_. He makes a gesture and a door appears. They go down the stone steps, and Yuri finds himself in a smaller tomb. This one doesn’t have a casket, and in the corner, there is a name carved into the stone wall.

“Rosa Espinosa. And there are several photographs of her as well, and some drawings…” exclaims Yuri in surprise. “1950–1995. Is she buried here as well?”

“No. It says in this newspaper clipping she’s buried in Colma.”

Rufus runs his hand on the date carved into the wall.

“Wait, what day was Rosa born?” asks Rufus.

“February 2nd. Why?”

“Maximilian Falgout 1917–1950, died February 2nd. By all the Hairy Saints of Heaven, Rosa was Maximilian. Or Maximilian became Rosa. Victor, you’re the most obsessed lovesick idiot in history!”

Yuri walks slowly back to his room, in shock. Rufus stays with him, until Victor wakes up, and Rufus explains what they discovered. Victor begins,

“Yuri, when Max died, I put a magical trace on him. Tibetan warlocks say powerful souls can be found again. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work, and it didn’t. I spent years trying to find him. Then I grieved, I spent months crying and shut in my crypt. Then one evening, I went out to a street carnival and this little girl came up and hugged me. Her name was Rosa and she took to me instantly. When I found out her birth date, I tested for the magical trace, and there it was. She recognized Max’s belongings, picking out his favorite hat from a group of hats. By the time she was a teenager, she declared herself madly in love with me. I loved her too... but I didn’t desire her sexually. I told her I loved her as an uncle, and she eventually married Clemente. Years later, she told me she’d made a mistake. She still loved me, and I confessed that I loved her, but I was only attracted to men. We planned a spell to ensure a male rebirth, but I wasn’t expecting to use it until she was very old.”

“So I’m Maximilian? ” whispers Yuri.

“Yes. You’re also Rosa.”

“And that’s why you care about me? Because I’m your long-lost love?”

“Partly. At first I felt responsible, I wasn’t expecting to feel anything else. Your personality is so different, and your physical appearance as well. I was planning to take you on as a disciple, teach you magic, and help you build a good life. I was surprised that I enjoyed talking with you, spending time with you, and when we kissed…”

Victor takes Yuri’s hand and says quietly,

“You ignited a burning desire. Then I fell in love with you… because you blush easily. Because you enjoy going to museums with me. Because when I kiss you, you’re so aroused you can’t think straight. Because you check under the bed, babble incoherently when you’re nervous, and look at me with so much love it makes me want to burst.”

Yuri trembles as Victor’s words seem to sink into his every cell. He admits,

“I’m very much in love with you, but I feel so strongly about you, it doesn’t feel… natural. Tell me honestly: did you cast a spell on me?”

Victor hesitates, then shakes his head, and explains,

“I didn’t cast a spell on you, you did. Or I should say, Maximilian did.”

“Huh?”

“Yuri, I’m not a rational person when it comes to love. It’s hard to express how I felt the few years I was with Max. We talked, we fought, we made love, it was just day-to-day life. But I felt so intensely connected, I believed I couldn’t live without him. I worked for hours and hours on the vampire spell, and when I told him my plan, he cried and said no. He was an artist, he needed colors and light. A few weeks before he was supposed to die, he said we should do an eternal yoke spell – bind us together as soulmates forever. I told my vampire master about the plan, and he counseled me not to do it. I might be forced to live hundreds of years without love, if I couldn’t find Max again. The following night, I found Max unconscious in our house, in the middle of a circle of spells.” Victor’s voice gets choked up, “Max completed as much of the spell as he could without me. The effort weakened him so much, he died a few days later.”

Yuri is silent for a minute, then suddenly yells,

“Damn! I wanna burn everything to do with Max! Put a stick of dynamite in that tomb!”

Victor pales, and replies shakily,

“All right. I don’t want you to be haunted by previous memories.”

Yuri looks at him even more pissed off and yells,

“Don’t you dare destroy anything! Then you’d resent me on top of everything else! Say something mean so I can yell at you… you asshat!”

He stomps off.

Yuri walks outside, then stops. Rufus grabs him, giving him a hug. Yuri stands there trembling with a mix of fury, sadness, and confusion.

“Yuri, that was messed up... Are you okay?”

“Mmm.”

“Want to stay with me tonight?”

“No. But thanks. I need to do something.”

Yuri goes back inside, wanting to yell some more, and finds Victor doubled over, crying. Angry words don’t seem appropriate now. Instead he asks,

“Were you going to tell me the truth?”

Victor hides his face in his hand, then nods.

“But not quickly. I was hoping we could get beyond the _I’m a gay vampire with magical powers who’s way too old for you_.”

“I can deal with that. It’s hiding the truth I don’t like.”

Victor crumples to his knees, pleading,

“Anything. I’ll tell you everything…”

“ _Liar, liar pants on fire…_ ” quips Yuri. Victor looks up at him, sniffs a bit, then inquires,

“My pants will burn if I lie?”

“Oops, that just slipped out. We should work on counterspells. Um... until I undo it, maybe you shouldn’t wear any pants...”

Victor gets up and hugs Yuri, saying,

“Thank you for giving me another chance, I love you so much. How... how is your neck?”

“Oscar healed it.”

“It’s still bruised.”

Victor gingerly touches Yuri’s his neck who brushes the hand off.

“Victor... I prefer a pain in the neck, than the pain of being without you.”

Victor smiles wryly, then declares,

“I’ll control myself,” and kisses him gently.


	13. The Love Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. I just noticed I skipped this chapter when uploading this story, sorry!

A week later, Yuri goes to see Doctor Deerhaven. Oscar smiles and announces,

“Yuri, I sent your DNA samples to a different lab. One with a bit more scientific standing. The technician there told me your parents samples were close enough to be considered family, the differences probably due to a contamination of the sample.”

Yuri heaves a sigh of relief and says,

“So my family is my family. It was a false negative.”

“From what Victor told me, I believe Rosa’s spell somehow changed your DNA to be able to absorb her magical powers. If I’m correct, you should tell no one about this. There are powerful and ruthless people who crave that kind of power, and I fear for your safety should they find out.”

Yuri nods, glad his family is biologically his, but worried about this new information. Yuri turns on his phone and texts Rufus the news, and Rufus sends him a thumbs up and a hug. Yuri sends another text, then asks Oscar,

“Are there side effects to half an eternal yoke spell? Maximilian did one on himself.”

Oscar leans on a side table, pondering. He comments,

“Goodness, that’s dabbling in dangerous magic. Yuri, you’ve already seen the effects. You’re only interested in Victor, unable to form intimate relationships with other people, and you put that relationship above anything else to a foolhardy extent…”

Oscar stops as Rufus enters his office. Rufus apologizes,

“Sorry, Doc, Yuri wants me to meet him for lunch.” Rufus gives Yuri a hug, saying, “I need company tonight – ditch Victor and snuggle with me, the jealousy will spice up your sex life.”

Yuri smiles and asks,

“What happened to that cute guy? The one who bought the old kitchen utensils?” asks Yuri. Rufus shrugs and admits,

“I was wrong. He kept coming back to the shop for old rusted metal, not for me.”

Oscar finishes writing some notes, then addresses Rufus,

“I’m having pasta tonight, then watching a movie, if you’d like to join me.”

Rufus glances at Oscar wistfully, then answers,

“Thanks, but I was hoping for a more carnal offer,” replies Rufus motioning to his body. Oscar raises an eyebrow, and responds,

“I won’t get too lascivious on a first date, but some physical contact is definitely possible.”

Rufus’s jaw drops, and his eyes go wide. Oscar nods, and leaves the room saying, “I’ll see you around 6.”

Rufus arrives at Oscar’s office with a bottle of red wine. He says,

“Hi.”

“Come in,” says Oscar, waving him into the apartment above. Rufus looks around, the place is very much like Oscar. Neat, simple, and cozy. There’s a big bookcase of medical books. Rufus sits on the couch, taking it all in. He’s not usually so quiet and awkward on a date. Oscar announces,

“Dinner is ready, if you’d like to sit at the table… Would you like a glass of red wine?” Oscar examines the label. “One of my favorite Cabernet’s.”

The two sit and eat, not saying anything. Rufus finally admits,

“I’m not sure what to expect here. I was astonished you asked me out. Asked me in.”

“Yuri’s been dropping hints, I decided to find out what was going on.”

Rufus collapses a little, suddenly understanding. Oscar isn’t actually interested in him, he’s just being nice.

“Ah. Yuri. He’s stirred up all our lives. I used to feel sorry for Victor, he seemed like such a tragic figure. But watching the two of them together, it’s like a grand romance, like Romeo and Juliet,

or King Arthur and Lancelot…”

“I thought King Arthur and Lancelot were in love with Guinevere,” checks Oscar.

“Not in my version. They write love letters to Guinevere because they dare not say the name of the one they truly love… Anyway, I envy them. Most guys want a quickie, not a relationship.”

“So you’re looking for a relationship?” inquires Oscar. Rufus nods and admits,

“Unfortunately. Maybe you could give me a love philter?”

Oscar shakes his head.

“The only love potions I brew are for erectile dysfunction. I know little more about the heart than you do.”

Rufus eats, then watches a movie, but stays on his end of the couch. He leaves as soon as it’s done.

A few days later, Victor is getting dressed, trying on different pants. Yuri points to a paper bag.

“Here Victor, I forgot to give you these potions from Oscar.”

Victor looks disconcerted, and quickly retrieves the bag, and hides it away. He explains,

“Ah, yes. I’m replenishing my medicine cabinet.”

“With wrinkle cream and hair volumizing potion?”

Victor purses his lips and admits,

“It’s not easy dating a younger man. A very attractive younger man. And the more confidence you gain, the more men will desire you. I have to do what I can.”

Yuri chuckles.

“I’m not just in love with how you look, Victor.” Yuri gives him a quick kiss. “I’ll probably have to use the wrinkle cream before you. Why are you getting dressed up? Are we going out?”

“I invited Oscar and Rufus over for dinner. Sorry, I forgot to tell you.”

“You invited Oscar and Rufus _together_?”

“Of course, is there a reason not to?”

“Um... I’m not sure.”

Rufus arrives, gives his coat to Boris, and is about to make a grand entrance when he hears Victor say,

“Yuri, kiss me my love.”

“Quickly, they’ll be here any moment.” There’s a moment of quiet, then Yuri says with wonder in his voice, “How do you do that? I melt every time you touch me…”

“Because I put all my feelings for you into every kiss. You should practice that with me, later tonight…” Victor says seductively. Yuri giggles. Rufus looks towards the door, wondering how soon he can escape. Meanwhile, Boris comes in and announces,

“Doctor is here.”

Yuri comes forward and draws Rufus aside, asking,

“How did the date go?”

“Not now,” replies Rufus curtly. The four of them eat dinner, and Rufus is unusually quiet. Yuri glances over with a concerned look. Victor asks,

“Yuri, did you remember to…”

“… call the appraiser? I did better, I got that warlock appraiser. He took one look at that Chinese vase and…”

“… he bought it. For himself! Brilliant!”

Victor grins at Yuri, Yuri smiles back. The two of them gaze at each other affectionately, like there’s no one else in the room. Rufus glares at the two of them, and pours himself another glass of wine. Victor announces,

“Rufus, I’ve decided to take your advice. I’m having the interior of the mansion painted.”

Yuri adds,

“Something sunny and yellow, to make up for the lack of sunlight. Oh, and we’re getting a puppy!”

Rufus scrunches his nose in distaste and retorts,

“I don’t like dogs.”

Oscar tells Victor,

“You’re glowing, my friend, I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“I’m foolishly in love, and I’m fortunate – Yuri has forgiven my past deeds and secrets.”

“You deserve your happiness,” reassures Oscar. Rufus clangs his glass on the table and yells,

“I deserve happiness as well! I want someone to be stupidly, madly, passionately in love with me!” Rufus pushes his chair back, and angrily strides out of the dining room. Victor watches him completely astonished, while Yuri looks guilty. Oscar wipes his mouth, then remarks,

“I take it this is my cue. Wish me luck.”

Rufus leans against the wall with his head down, feeling miserable. Yuri and Victor will forgive his emotional outburst, but it’s embarrassing that he did it in front of Oscar. He senses a presence, and looks up and sees Oscar contemplating him. Oh no. This is even worse. Oscar begins,

“Rufus, of course you deserve to be loved. But that show of emotion – was any of that directed at me?”

“I... sort of. Just ignore it.”

Oscar nods and continues,

“I see. We’ve just had our first date. You came over, barely talked, and stayed as far away from me as possible. I’m a boring middle-aged man, married to my work. I know you crave the kind of love you saw out there, but are you certain you’re interested in me?”

Rufus waves his hand in the air helplessly, and replies,

“Yes! You’re... kind, super smart, and strong... I admire your work... it’s just I get… skittish around you. I’ve been interested for a while… but, I’m not your type, am I? You never check me out. You just asked me out ‘coz Yuri told you to!”

Oscar seems surprised, and replies,

“Oh, I didn’t realize...” Oscar pauses, then says, “Rufus, you’re a stunning, amusing, radiant man with a kind heart. I find you _very_ attractive.”

Rufus swallows nervously and whispers,

“Do you... really mean that?”

Oscar nods. Rufus hesitates, then reaches over, and gives Oscar a quick kiss on the lips. Oscar leans in, and gives Rufus a longer kiss. Rufus responds by leaning down towards him, and wrapping his arms around his neck. Oscar feels solid and tastes like wine... and is doing something heavenly to his mouth... Boris comes through the door, and they separate. Oscar gives Rufus a little smile, then heads back to the table. Rufus waits for a moment, exclaims,

“Yippee!” with his hands up, then follows.

Yuri sees Rufus come back, and concerned about the outburst, drags him over to a corner again.

“You never told me how the date went,” accuses Yuri. Rufus smiles, then replies,

“It was pathetic.”

“Then why are you smiling like… like _that_?”

“Oscar just kissed me... I’m hoping our next date we’ll play doctor,” says Rufus with a wink.

Meanwhile, Victor observes Oscar, who seems distracted.

“Do you have a patient you need to attend to?” asks Victor. Oscar shakes his head and replies,

“No, it’s a personal matter. One that developed suddenly.”

Rufus comes into the room, gives an exaggerated look at his watch.

“Oh, it’s so _laaate_! I better get to _bed_ immediately,” Rufus says, giving Oscar a questioning look. Oscar glances at Rufus, grabs his coat and says to Yuri,

“Don’t disturb me unless _absolutely_ necessary. I’m hoping to be pleasantly engaged.”

Rufus and Oscar wave goodbye, and disappear out the front door. Victor stares at the door, looking puzzled. Yuri fills him in,

“Rufus and Oscar are hitting it off. Weird, huh? But Oscar can handle just about anything, and Rufus keeps talking about Oscar’s big hands…”

Victor sends a little cloud of red sparkles at Yuri’s neck, and Yuri stops talking, and shivers. Yuri waves his hand at Victor, but nothing happens. Frustrated by his inability to use any powers, Yuri walks over, grabs Victor’s collar and pulls him in for a kiss. Then Yuri climbs the stairs to his bedroom, leaving items of clothing on the stairs for Victor to follow.

Once in bed, Yuri and Victor are facing each other, kissing. Victor spread his legs and whispers,

“Would you be willing to try something new? I’d like you inside me...”

Yuri nods, and takes a deep breath. It’s a bit nerve wracking, but he’s determined not be a pillow princess. He places his dick near the hole, then stops and looks around for lube. He grabs the bottle and presses too hard and squirts it all over the sheets. Then he grabs tissues, and makes a globby mess of stuck tissue and gel.

“Yuri...”

“No! I’m going to rock your world!”

Victor smiles, and reclines on a pillow. Yuri orders,

“Close your eyes.”

Victor does as told, Yuri decides to stroke and kiss every part of Victor starting from the feet. He kisses each toe, the ankles, then works his way up the two legs. He gives the penis a quick peck, then strokes and kisses the chest. Finally, he gives the face a bunch of kisses. Victor takes the opportunity to kiss him, then whispers,

“I love you so much...”

Yuri smiles. This time, he slathers the lube on his erection, the enters slowly. Yuri hugs him, then slowly thrusts into Victor, and and it feels intensely good… colored lights are sparking between them, as his body arches in passion. As his body orgasms, he places his palms in Victor’s, enlacing their fingers, then everything goes dark.

Victor watches Yuri’s eyes go wide, and he touches Victor like he can’t believe that he’s real.

“My beautiful idiot… you’re older, and so pale,” says Yuri in a different voice. Victor recoils. There is only one person who calls him _that_. Victor whispers,

“Max?”

“In the flesh! Victorini who loves linguine, it worked!” exclaims the deeper voice. Victor watches Yuri’s body disentangle himself and and check himself out in the mirror. “I look… Asian!? How odd, this body doesn’t move how I’m used to…”

Victor freezes in disbelief. He never thought he’d ever hear that voice again... Then he manages to ask,

“Max... I’ve missed you so much... How is this happening?“

“I’m not sure.”

“Where is Yuri?”

“Yuri? Is that the body’s name? I don’t know. I died in 1950, I look around 20 – it must be about 1970?” asks Max, looking out the window. “Whoa! The cars look like spaceships!”

“It’s 2018. This is your second rebirth after you died.”

“Really?” Max turns towards Victor. “Victor, this world is fading... You didn’t complete the eternal yoke spell before I died. Maybe if you finish it, I’ll be back for good.”

“Max…”

Max quickly gives him a kiss, then collapses. Victor holds the body, until it blinks back to life, saying in Yuri’s voice,

“What happened? Everything went dark…”


	14. Losing Your Mind

For the next few days, Yuri spends his nights alone. Victor first avoids him, then disappears for a few days, probably in Pacifica. When Victor finally returns, he spends hours in the garden tomb. Finally Yuri ambushes Victor, and demands,

“Tell me what’s going on... If I don’t measure up to Max, just tell me!”

Victor grimaces, then shakes his head. He explains,

“The last time we made love, you started to complete a spell. Do you remember blacking out?”

“Yeah...”

“During that time, your body was possessed by Max.”

Yuri steps back, letting go of Victor’s arm.

“So I’m not crazy to be jealous of someone who’s already dead? I really hate this guy! Wait…” Yuri looks at Victor suddenly freaked out, “... you two did… didn’t… do stuff with my body?”

“We talked. He gave me one kiss at the end.”

Yuri hugs himself and asks,

“So what’s your plan? Avoid me till I die and go into a better body? Let Max take over my body and cheat on me with... _me_? Maybe we could have a threesome!”

Yuri goes inside and sits down on the couch, overwhelmed. Victor tries to give him a hug, but Yuri pushes him away.

“I need to get away for a bit... I’m going to Rufus’s apartment.”

Yuri grabs some things and leaves.

A week later, Victor wakes up at sunset, and trudges over to his desk in his office. After all these years of being alone, he should be used to it. But having Yuri around was making him feel twenty years old again – strange how the body and the mind don’t age in the same way. He opens some mail, then pushes it aside without looking at it. Is Yuri all right? He definitely never imagined this problem would arise… He tries to read a book, then pulls out a crystal ball. He hasn’t done scrying in a long time. Victor puts the ball back on the shelf, then picks it up and puts it on his desk. Yuri hasn’t talked to him in days, maybe something is wrong? He takes a deep breath, puts his palms over the ball, and begins the words,

“ _Mirror, mirror, crystal ball, how’s the fairest of them all_?”

“Okay, I guess.”

Victor swerves, knocks the crystal ball off its stand, and it lands with a loud thud on the floor and rolls into a corner.

“Yuri!”

“Yeah, for now.”

Victor stands there, not knowing what else to say. Yuri picks up the crystal ball, and places it back on the desk. Victor wants to hold him, but that’s probably the last thing that Yuri wants.

“Victor... we should talk. Would you walk me back to the antique store?”

Victor nods, happy to share a moment, but disappointed Yuri isn’t staying.

Yuri is quiet on the walk over, then at the antique store, he offers,

“Rufus is rarely here, he’s living at Oscar’s. Would you come upstairs for a moment? This is hard to say.”

Victor nods again, now fearing the worst. This feels like goodbye. He enters Rufus’s apartment. The coffee table has been moved to one side and a giant rug takes up the middle of the living room.

“Are you redecorating?”

“No. I’ve been taking ballroom dance lessons and I needed space to practice. I… I, uh, wanna dance?”

“Of course.”

Anything to have Yuri close for a moment, especially if this is going to be the last time. They sway for a while, then suddenly Victor feels his muscles lock up.

“ _Light as a feather, stiff as a board_... Stay still, I don’t want you to fall.”

“Yuri, what are you doing… _Explain_!” says Victor in a magical tone. Yuri says,

“I’m wearing earplugs, this won’t take long.” Yuri throws out his arms and says, “ _I offer my life, my body, my breath and my soul, to become whatever my true love wants, in his deepest of hearts._ I love you more than you’ll ever know, Victor Nikiforov.”

Yuri kisses Victor, then collapses on the floor. Victor says a counterspell to free himself. He takes out Yuri’s earplugs, and places him on the couch. Victor looks at the giant rug and notices traces of white under one corner. Victor picks up the rug, and sees underneath a complicated sigil of white lines.

“No! Yuri, no! Don’t go, this is your life, you should live…”

Yuri’s body is limp, not responding. Then he opens his eyes, and says in a deeper voice,

“Victor, my love, I’m back…” Victor turns away, and begins to sob. “Victor... Victorini! What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t your body, Max, there was somebody else here,” says Victor. But Max shakes his head, not understanding.

“But this man, isn’t he my reincarnation? Isn’t he me?”

Victor gets up, and stumbles out of the room.

“Victor, where are you going?”

“I can’t bear to look at you in Yuri’s body.”

Victor turns away and opens the door. Max yells,

“Wait! Waiiiit... I don’t know where I am!”

Victor grabs Max’s arm, and heads home.

Max follows Victor, overwhelmed by all the differences he sees on the street. He follows all the way up the steps to a large brick mansion, which is old and dark inside. Is this where Victor lives? It’s depressing. An old bearded guy shows up and Victor introduces,

“Boris, Yuri is being possessed by Max. Max, this is Boris. I’d appreciate if you’d notify Doctor Deerhaven of the situation.”

Max sticks out his hand and says,

“Howdy... wait, Victor, where ya going?”

“I’ll be in my crypt. Don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”

Max wanders around the old house. It’s quiet until he comes into a study with a mattress on the floor. He’s about to step inside, when a gust of wind slams the door shut. He avoids that room, and checks out the rest of the house. Eventually Boris serves him a meal of meat and potatoes in the dining room. Two men arrive, and Max introduces himself.

“Maximilian Falgout, ex-soldier and warlock extraordinaire. I’ve pulled off the love spell of the century, for which the love of my life now hates me for. And you are?”

“I’m Doctor Oscar Deerhaven, Victor’s physician and friend.”

“I am Rufus Miller, from the backwoods of Ohio, with mediocre warlock powers. Your body belongs to Yuri Katsuki, my best friend.” Rufus adds cattily. “He wears it a lot better than you.”

Oscar gives a warning look to Rufus, who gives a fake smile and sits down. Oscar begins calmly,

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maximilian. Victor has often talked about you, he remembers you with extreme fondness. But you must understand, Victor has never expected you to come back this way. At this time, he has formed an attachment to the spirit in this body, Yuri Katsuki. Victor is worried that he has lost his current love, and is in a state of shock and grief.”

Max stands up, and marches around the room. Then he responds,

“But this Yuri and I are the same spirit, or soul. Isn’t that true?”

Oscar replies,

“At some level, yes.”

Rufus shakes his head, protesting,

“They’re completely different! Maybe they’re two souls sharing a body…?”

Oscar disagrees,

“Not necessarily. Rufus, imagine you met yourself at age 3. There wouldn’t necessarily be that many commonalities, would there?”

“Maybe not. But I bet you haven’t changed, Oscar. You were probably a mini-adult, calmly healing everyone.”

Max goes towards Victor’s crypt, then changes his mind and comes back.

“Victor loves me. I can feel it. He needs to get over my change in personality, and start living!”

Victor comes out a few days later. There are pencil drawings strewn around various rooms, as well as crumpled balls of paper. The drawings aren’t very good. Victor searches various rooms, then finds Max in Yuri’s bedroom. He inquires,

“What are you doing?

“I’m studying this Yuri person. Obviously he can’t draw.” Max massages his left hand, and motions to the books on the bookshelves. “He has very little warlock skills, and knows more about ancient pots than the mage world. _Charming_!” exclaims Max sarcastically. Victor takes a deep breath and replies,

“Yuri has an amazing heart. He invented a love spell to get you back, knowing he could disappear forever. He did it for me. So let me be clear: Yuri should get his body back.”

Max sits down, completely deflated.

“Victor, I don’t get it! You and I are meant for one another. You became a vampire for me! Everybody is acting like I’ve killed someone, but didn’t you fall in love with this Yuri ‘coz he’s me?”

Victor goes over and gives Max a hug.

“Perhaps. However, this feels wrong.”

A few nights later, Max shows up at Victor’s crypt wearing a bathrobe and carrying a champagne bottle. Max takes a swig, then asks,

“Aren’t you going to let me in?”

“I don’t feel comfortable being intimate with you,” clarifies Victor with an edge to his voice. Max brushes past and says,

“Well, being intimate is the only way I know of making a switcheroo!”

Victor stands in the doorway, uncertain how to handle this. Max continues,

“Victor, the whole time I was dying, I agonized on the right choice. I should’ve become a vampire like you, we’d still be together. Just talk to me… _Please_!”

Victor relents and motions to sit on the couch. Max takes a seat, saying,

“Tell me what happened… after I died.”

Max takes another swig, and hands the bottle over to Victor. Victor shakes his head, explaining,

“Anything but blood or water makes me throw up.”

Max sticks out his arm and insists,

“My blood must be mostly champagne by now.”

Victor hesitates, then takes a quick bite, savoring the taste of Yuri’s blood as a cocktail. He better not have any more, it’s delicious... Victor leans back, and lets a flood of memories come to mind. The words tumble out... the shock, the grief, getting used to being a vampire… years of depression. The search for Max’s rebirth. Learning the piano, reading books, meeting a young man who was killed… Max just sits there quietly. Victor continues,

“I read a lot of books about art, and antiques. I saved up and bought a small antique shop. I figured eventually my items would be worth something, since my life would be so long...”

Max stands up and exclaims,

“That’s it! You’re too focused on the past. I bet you could sell this pile of bricks and we could bum around Europe... I’d like to see Paris again, without any German tanks.”

Victor blinks a few times, stunned. Then he manages to ask,

“But... how would we survive financially? And how am I supposed to travel?”

“By car, by train, by boat... who cares? I can carry you around!”

Victor looks around at his crypt, worried at losing his home. He responds,

“I suppose I could consider it.”

The next night, Victor goes to the ballroom. He remembers the first time he visited the mansion. It seems like yesterday, but it was 1961. He received a phone call from Mister Francisco Herrera wanting to show him a property for sale. They arrived at 2550 Webster, and Victor stood in the entryway, noticing the ornate carved wood work, the coffered ceilings, and antique wallpaper... Victor hedged to the realtor,

“The house is late Victorian, but the style is unique... I’m not sure how you learned I was searching for a house, but this isn’t what I had in mind...”

A young girl with shoulder length dark hair in an orange romper came running down the stairs, squealing,

“Victor!! Come upstairs! There’s a ballroom...”

“Rosa…?” yelped Victor. She giggled and pulled him up to the second floor.

“I told Uncle Paco you needed a pad, isn’t this just right for a vampire?”

Victor laughed.

“I’ll have to buy a tuxedo and a cape.”

“Yes! I could have my _quinceañera_ here, I’ll be fifteen really soon...”

“Of course. You’ll have to learn to waltz,” agreed Victor. He put Rosa’s left hand on his shoulder, and supported Rosa’s right arm with a wrist underneath Rosa’s wrist.

“Can’t we hold hands, palm to palm? That’s the way people dance on TV,” remarked Rosa, batting her eyelashes at him innocently.

“That’s dangerous and you know it,” lectured Victor, as he guided her around the room. They danced for a while, smiling at each other.

“And one more thing…” she said, with an impish grin. Victor groaned. He always ended up doing everything she asked.“... I want a tea party, I saw some pretty cups in the cupboard.”

Victor nodded, then warned,

“You have to get your uncle’s permission.”

Victor smiled again, this time laughing at himself. Truth is, he’d gladly spend all day at a tea party as long as Rosa is there.

The next night, Max comes to visit dressed in a striped shirt and a beret. He poses and says,

“What you think? All I need is a cigarette and a baguette...”

Victor forces himself to respond positively,

“Very good, _très bien_.”

“Victor... remember that time we argued on Fillmore street, I called you a bunch of names, you wouldn’t speak to me…”

Victor smiles a bit and recalls,

“I was so angry, I told you I’d return to Russia.”

“I was already in love with you, but later you said you’d forgive me anything... I knew I’d do anything to stay with you.”

Victor sighs, and takes Max’s hand.

“I’m not blaming you. I love you so much it hurts… Be patient, I will adapt. But... I love Yuri too, and I miss him.”

Max pulls Victor into his arms, and Victor sobs, silently.

The next night, Victor wakes up still holding Max. Then he hears,

“Victor?”

Victor tries to shake away his sleepiness.

“Victor?”

Victor suddenly realizes the voice sounds like Yuri.

“Yuri? Tell me about Jomon pottery!” orders Victor. Yuri replies,

“Um... it’s one of the oldest of the world, from Japan, and they have cord markings…”

Victor hugs him, holding him so firmly that Yuri protests,

“I can’t breathe!”

Victor presses him a bit more lightly. He says in a strangled voice,

“I thought I’d lost you for good! I can’t believe you did that spell… How come you’re back?”

Yuri takes a deep breath, and says,

“I don’t know. But Oscar said the words are important, and I wished for you to have your heart’s desire, which I thought was Max…”

Victor finishes his sentence,

“… it _was_ Max, but now, it’s you.”

Yuri feels odd returning to his life. It’s not just the missing days, he feels clumsy, like he’s relearning to move in his body. Other things are different as well, so he goes to see Oscar. Oscar smiles and says,

“Yuri! I’m truly happy to see you. Is something troubling you?”

Yuri grimaces and replies,

“Besides being possessed by a ghost? No. That’s pretty much it. Just a smidgen of possession. That’s what’s troubling me.”

“Do you mean emotionally? Do you feel disconcerted at being back in your body?”

“Yes, and yeah, of course. But there’s more to it now.”

Yuri pulls a pad of paper out of his backpack, closes his eyes for a moment, and draws Oscar from memory. Oscar observes quietly, then comments,

“An amazing likeness of me. I didn’t know you could draw.”

“I can’t. And what’s more, I’m right-handed, and that was with my left hand. Oh, and look at this.”

Yuri takes a knife and cuts the inside of his other arm, till a thin stream of blood appears. Then he places his palm over the cut,

“ _Miss Molly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, please heal this cut very quick quick quick._ ”

Yuri focuses for about a moment, and a crackling green glow comes out of his palm. When he stops, there is already a scab and barely the trace of the cut.

“I used to have very weak warlock powers. But now I’m getting more and more powerful, and I know things, things I’ve never been taught. Max is taking over again, just more slowly. I’m not sure how long I can hold him back.”

“And you’re worried Victor prefers Max?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t agree. I saw Victor when he thought he’d lost you, and he was torn apart. He’s come to terms with losing Max, but he’s not ready to lose you. Talk to him.”

Yuri returns to the mansion, and waits for Victor to wake up. Victor barely opens his eyes when Yuri does the same demonstration he did for Oscar. Victor observes closely, then remarks,

“May I see your shoulder? The left one.”

Yuri moves his shirt over, he had forgotten about the sigil. Victor places hand on his shoulder, but nothing happens.

“The spell is completely gone. Now you’re able to access all your power.”

“That makes sense for the healing power, but why can I draw with my left hand, like Max?”

Yuri says Max like it’s a disgusting word. Victor lifts an eyebrow, suddenly understanding Yuri’s bad mood.

“Come with me,” orders Victor, grabbing the drawing. Victor heads the garden, opens Maximilian’s tomb and removes a drawing. Then he goes into Rosa’s place, and motions for Yuri to come in. Victor places Yuri’s and Max’s drawing next to another drawing, by Rosa.

“Yuri, look at the drawing you just did. If you had to guess who had drawn it, would it be Max… or Rosa?”

“Uh...”

Max’s drawing is subtle, using lots of shading and highlights to create the contours. Rosa’s drawing uses quick lines, to create the illusion of something solid.

“My drawing looks like Rosa’s. Was she left-handed?”

Victor nods. Then he taps his lip and adds,

“She hated homosexuals, because it took me away from her...”

Yuri runs back into the house, and retrieves the locket from his desk. He hands it over to Victor, who looks at it with surprise and exclaims,

“Rosa’s locket! I thought her family had it.”

Yuri fidgets in his body, like his skin doesn’t fit right.

“I don’t know who I am anymore. When I hold the locket, I remember her life, her feelings. Sometimes, I have the urge to put on lipstick. And with Max’s stuff… I want to sail out on the bay... I hate water! Especially large dark bodies of water that you can’t see the bottom, full of sharks and nuclear submarines! It’s like... multiple possession disorder... I miss being by myself, in myself.”

Victor watches him, waiting to see if he’s done talking.

“I know this is very difficult for you. But whatever it is that links all these personalities – I love. I loved all three of your personalities individually, and I love them mixed together. I love you dressed as a man, I love you dressed as a woman. Even if you changed your body into that of a woman, I’d still love you. I would just find it difficult to have sex with you. Give yourself time, Yuri, to adjust to your new situation. Maybe you’ll learn to control it, or maybe we’re not very solid.”

“You’ve barely changed.”

“I’ve changed a lot from my vampire curse.”

Yuri takes a deep breath, and leans into Victor’s chest.

“I’m trying... you know, I don’t care you’re a... cursed decrepit bloodsucker. I still love you.”

Victor smiles at the attempt at humor and replies.

“Thanks.”

Then he feels Yuri squeeze him tight.

Victor watches Yuri struggle, like he’s a stranger in his own body. Yuri questions his own opinions and tastes. One day he likes peas, the next day he rants against them. Then he shows up at dinner in a dress, but takes one look at Victor, and runs back in his room and locks the door. Yuri is no longer able to use a cell phone or computer, the devices shut off near him. One evening, Victor finds Yuri in tears. Victor asks him,

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t watch _Game of Thrones_! I just started bingeing it after years of hearing about it… My powers are out of control!”

Victor nods, and sighs. He finally replies,

“I’ve been researching a spell to remove your powers. It would disconnect you from Max and Rosa. You’d become a regular boy…”

Yuri watches him, looking uncertain. Then he demands,

“What’s the catch?”

“You’d no longer be in love with me. I know right now that sounds absurd, or terrible, but I think you’d find it freeing…”

“You’re always trying to get rid of me! Also, you’re assuming I wouldn’t fall in love with you of my own free will…”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“When... When could you do the spell?”

Victor shakes his head.

“I can’t, I’m connected to you. I would request the help of Ah Toy, she’s skillful enough to do it without harming you.”

“Oh. I’ll think about it.”

Victor watches Yuri pull away from him, and disappear into his own world. He spends countless hours researching various books, and practicing different spells. Then one day, Victor senses Yuri is gone. Victor’s heart sink. Yuri didn’t even bother to say goodbye?

Yuri takes the train down to San Jose, and walks to a nondescript blue house with a white picket fence and green grass. A young Chinese woman opens the door, as if she’s expecting him. He’s led into a little sitting room, with peach wallpaper and overstuffed chairs. The old Chinese lady with big round glasses is sitting in a wheelchair, and her skin looks off, tinged with green. She asks,

“Would you like some tea?”

“Uh, yes, thank you.”

They sip their tea quietly. Then Yuri nervously asks,

“Sooo... would you remove my powers from me?”

“Why?”

Yuri explains about Max/Rosa. The woman observes him for a while, then says,

“I was born in Guanzhou. At age 18, I was married. My husband and I took a boat to San Francisco, but my husband took ill, and died at sea. In San Francisco, I survived by having men pay for a looksee. There weren’t many women back then, and I was one of the first Asian women to arrive. I saved my money, and eventually I owned my own place. I ran a parlor house, not some low-level crib or cow yard. I had hundreds of pretty waiter girls... The business got tough when anti-prostitution laws were passed. I have fought hard. Yet you give up after a month?”

“But it’s internal, you were fighting the outside world...”

“You don’t know anything.”

“I can pay...” offers Yuri, then remembers he only has a few hundred dollars in the bank, and forty in his wallet. Ah Toy responds,

“I invested in the Pacific Railway, and I made plenty of bucks.”

“So you won’t do the spell for me?” checks Yuri, standing up to leave. She gives a wry smile and orders,

“Come downstairs.”

A young woman shows up, picks up Ah Toy, and carries her down into a basement. There are no windows, but a lamp illuminates a room with yellow wallpaper with fruit on it, and plush pink carpeting. Ah Toy is placed on a folding chair, then the young woman leaves, closing a solid door behind her. Yuri looks around, then sits on the floor. He can’t help but stare at her tiny triangular feet. She begins,

“I don’t use do many spells, except to help family. But at my age, they are too numerous to count. But there is something I can do for you.”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

Yuri stares at the carpeting, and waits. Unlike with Victor, and Rufus, there are no circles, candles or other paraphernalia. The old woman sits in her chair, with her eyes closed, for what seems like hours.


	15. The Long Dark Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This last chapter is not new. When I uploaded originally, I missed a chapter, and have added chapter 13.

Victor stands on the balcony of his mansion, watching. Every night, he waits. Yuri’s note made it very clear not to search for him. But what if Yuri is in trouble? A little bit after midnight, he sees a figure walk slowly towards the front door, then stop. Victor freezes. It looks like Yuri, yet there’s something off… different. Yuri’s aura used to be wildly colorful and out of control, and now he sees nothing. So Yuri went through with the spell? He runs downstairs.  
“Yuri, come in,” says Victor, wondering how Yuri feels about him. Yuri looks like he wants to run away, answering,  
“Oh... I’m... I guess. Just keep your distance.”

They go inside, and Yuri sits as far away from him as possible. It hurts, but it’s a sensible response to a vampire he doesn’t have feeling for... Victor offers,  
“Can I get you anything?”  
“No, thanks. This is the part where I tell you something… unforgivable.”  
Victor responds,  
“Impossible! I...” Yuri glares at him. Victor adds, “I’m listening.”  
Yuri sits stiffly rigid on the couch and recounts,  
“I took the train to San Jose, to see Ah Toy. She told me she was dying.”  
“She’s ill?”  
“Liver cancer.”  
Victor waits for more, then states,  
“She did the spell. The difference in you is obvious.”  
“She did a spell for several long days, no sigils, no words, no nudity...”  
“She’s on a different level.”  
“But Victor… she didn’t finish.”  
“Why not?” growls Victor, standing up in anger. Yuri winces and confesses,  
“I panicked. I ran away as quickly as I could. I... I killed her… After days, I woke up with… blood in my mouth...”  
“NOOOO!” yells Victor. He grabs Yuri, and holds him in his arms. Yuri wails,  
“Sorry, I’m so sorry... I don’t know what I did...”  
“Yuri, you didn’t kill her. She sacrificed her life to transfer her vampire curse... I should never have sent you there – I should’ve kept you safe!”  
Yuri pales, and says weakly,  
“So I’m... I’m... a vampire? I thought I had the flu!”  
Victor hugs him for some time.

Later that night, Victor asks him,  
“How do you feel? I takes a few weeks for the transformation to take hold...”  
“I’m achy and nauseous. But I can’t eat... and the thought of blood...” begins Yuri, then he shudders in revulsion. Victor paces in the living room, feeling a turmoil of emotions. Finally he asks,  
“Why did she turn you into a vampire?”  
“Um... she didn’t... say...?”  
“Yuri...”  
“Well, she had a crush on me...”  
“Yuri!”  
Yuri avoids looking at him and asks,  
“What?”  
Victor waves his hand helplessly and offers,  
“I can sell this house and give you lots of money, I can live elsewhere...”  
“Don’t be stupid, Victor, I love this house! Don’t you want to be with me? Can’t you love a gay vampire warlock with multiple personalities...?”  
“Of course I can. I’m more worried about the age difference.”  
Yuri groans, partially at the joke, but also from the pain of an empty stomach. Another pang hits his stomach, and he doubles over. Victor picks him up and carries him downstairs to the crypt. Then he hands him a blood packet. Yuri nibbles the edges of the plastic reluctantly. Victor bites the edge with his fangs, then hands it over again. Yuri licks the bag, then squeezes a bit into his mouth. His eyes go wide, and spits it out all over the floor.  
“Ewww! It’s like… salty metallic snot! I’ve licked a cut on my finger before, it barely tasted liked anything,” whines Yuri.  
“I told you, vampirism is a curse,” Victor responds with a sigh, then grabs a towel and cleans up the mess. Then he comes over and gives Yuri a light kiss.  
“Victor... I’m not in the mood,” protests Yuri.  
“Would you smell my wrist?”  
Yuri shrugs, and sniffs Victor’s wrist. The odor makes his body tingle with arousal, his arms get goose bumps, then his stomach grumbles. Victor kisses him again – his body is humming, and Victor’s hands are doing little circles around his nipples. Yuri climbs on top of him, and rubs their crotches together, enjoying the feeling of Victor being very hard. Victor removes Yuri’s shirt, then softly bites Yuri’s shoulder, without breaking the skin. It feels… good in an achy way, and he moans. Yuri removes his pants, then tugs at Victor’s shirt in a disgruntled manner.  
“Take it off,” insists Yuri. Victor kisses him again, and nips his lower lip.  
“Ow. My lip is bleeding...” complains Yuri, then he licks his lip and his stomach grumbles again. Then Victor whispers in his ear,  
“Kiss me here,” while pulling back his shirt and revealing his neck. Victor’s neck is pale and smooth, with lovely pulsing lines. It’s disturbingly clear which are unappetizing veins and which are yummy arteries. Yuri hesitates, then he sucks on the neck for a moment. He feels his pants unzipped, and their erections rubbing against each other. Victor is rubbing them both skillfully, and Yuri moans, his breath coming in little pants. Then Victor insists,  
“Let yourself go...”  
Yuri feels his body spasms in pleasure, and he instinctively bites the alluring white neck. The sudden nourishment causes a second wave of pleasure, then he pushes Victor down, and bites him again. His cock is rockhard again, Yuri grabs Victor’s hips and forces it inside of Victor’s ass. Victor moans, as he sucks while pounding the gorgeous white ass vigorously.

Yuri wakes up sometime later, and rubs his mouth. Traces of blood smear onto his hand, and he blanches. He quickly checks Victor’s neck, but the wounds seems minor. Victor jolts awake, and quickly gets up and bites into a pouch of blood. Yuri avoids looking at Victor. He apologizes in a devastated tone,  
“I’m so sorry... I was rough... and.. it’s unforgivable...”  
Victor lifts his chin so they are looking into each others eyes. He insists,  
“Yuri, I’m fine. And I don’t just mean that my body is healing quickly. I... I enjoyed your forcefulness and your bite – and I coaxed you, knowing you’d be unable to control yourself. You needed to feed.”  
Yuri’s eyes go wide and he stammers,  
“W...Wait… y... you did that on purpose so I would, uh... drink you?!”  
“Yes.”  
“But you’re not usually out of control in bed...”  
“Yes but... I focus on your pleasure, not my own.”  
Yuri frowns for a moment, then holds his head, feeling stupid. What had Oscar said? Desire for sex and food can be conflated in a vampire? He mumbles,  
“So… you’ve been wanting to bite me all along…?”  
“Yes. I’m not happy about you being cursed, but now we’re more compatible...”  
Yuri hugs himself, completely deflated.  
“Now I feel worse! All this time you thought I was terrible in bed!” wails Yuri. Victor blinks a few times, then responds,  
“Uh... no.... I was saying a relationship with a violent vampire is difficult...”  
Victor stands there, unsure of how to deal with the situation. Yuri curls up in bed and ignores him.

A few days later, Victor wakes in his bed, feeling a terrible hunger. There is a smell nearby, and he bears his fangs and bites it. His eyes open, and he spits out some dry sticky stuff, suddenly realizing he’s bitten Yuri’s pillow. Damn. He walks quickly over to the fridge, and drinks twice as many blood packets as usual. He can’t afford to lose control, now that Yuri is back and needs him more than ever. Victor forces himself to brush his teeth, trim his nails, and brush his hair. Then he dresses quickly, and prowls the first floor of the mansion. He sniffs the air, and growls a little bit. Again he forces himself to calm down, as he recognizes the scents of Rufus and Oscar. They were visiting while Victor was asleep. Yuri’s curse is not full strength yet, and his torpor is still light. Victor runs up the staircase to the highest room in the corner. He finds Yuri in his usual place, a window facing west, looking out over the city, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. His dark hair is already much longer and he isn’t wearing glasses. From across the room, Victor asks,  
“Are you still able to see the sunset?”  
“A little bit of blue, I was lucky, there wasn’t much fog. But I’ve already lost the ability to see reds and oranges.”  
There’s something off in Yuri’s demeanor, more off than usual. Worried, Victor asks,  
“What’s troubling you?”  
Yuri shrugs in reply. Victor continues,  
“Dealing with your family? Lack of sunlight? Not being able to use your computer?”  
Yuri’s head slumps a bit at the last one, and answers,  
“Rufus promised to act out shows for me... It’s horrible, but sweet.”  
Yuri turns, and looks at him for a moment. Then he sniffs the air and says,  
“You had blood this morning – why are you staying away from me?”  
Victor takes a deep breath, then admits,  
“I’m having trouble controlling myself. Probably ‘coz you’re feeding from me, I’m feeling violently possessive.”  
Yuri still hadn’t managed to drink his own plastic pouch of blood, and has been feeding from his arm.  
“Oh... come here.”  
Yuri pulls him into over a hug, and Victor kisses the top of his head. He feels a light bite on his neck. Victor checks Yuri’s face and asks,  
“Do you want my blood or my body?”  
Yuri looks grim, then confides,  
“I’m horrified by what I did, I’m scared of having sex again… I don’t want to hurt you. But most of all, I’m scared of liking it…”  
“Yes. I worry about losing my humanity… Yuri, I wasn’t dissatisfied with our lovemaking, I was proud that it was sweet and gentle... Most of all, I want to make you happy.”  
Yuri nods, then with determination places his wrist under Victor’s nose. Victor hisses, the smell immediately causing an erection. Yuri kisses him, then whispers,  
“Fuck me, bite me... make me yours.”  
Victor pulls down Yuri’s pants, pushes him down onto the windowsill, and thrusts into him. Yuri makes a sound halfway between a moan and a wail, then bites down onto his arm. Victor does quick shallow thrusts, and bites Yuri’s shoulder. Pleasure mixed with a burning ache on his arm and a feeling of animal satisfaction courses through him, and he slows down, and he finds himself nuzzling Yuri’s neck. Yuri’s body’s shudder, and pulses around Victor’s dick, making him cum. His whole body relaxes, into a blissful haze, and he murmurs,  
“You are forever mine.”  
They stay that way while, and Yuri sighs contentedly, still sucking on his arm. Victor has a flashback of Yuri sucking on him as a baby, as he put a spell on him. Victor should have stayed completely away... not that he can anymore. They are caught in a web of their own making.

Yuri releases his arm, and wipes his mouth. Victor disengages and cleans up a bit, then turns and sees a look of anguish on Yuri’s face. Oh no. Victor gives Yuri a quick kiss, then asks,  
“What’s really wrong?”  
Yuri turns and hugs his shoulder, sobbing. Victor then mentions the most sensitive subject,  
“Is it Max...?”  
“Victor...” wails Yuri in between sniffs, “...someone is still trying to kill you!”  
Victor frowns, surprised. This has been a problem for months, though they are safe inside the mansion. He replies,  
“I know. Someone has been attacking all the high-level vampires. They killed Burnell.”  
“The thing is... Ah Toy was getting weak from sickness, she didn’t want to be assassinated. So she gave me her vampire power to kill that someone... not to deal with Max.”  
“But did it help with Max?”  
Yuri responds irritably,  
“Yeah. I’m powerful enough to beat him down.”  
Victor represses a smile, Yuri sounded just like Rosa for a moment. Then he mentally reviews possible attacks, considering what spell to try next, to find the enemy. Yuri has been a target because of him, but now Yuri is a target himself. What powers has Ah Toy given Yuri? Maybe Yuri will be able to defend both of them... Yuri interrupts his thoughts in an annoyed tone,  
“You’re supposed to tell me you love me more than anyone!”  
Victor insists,  
“Of course I love you! I’d give you all my money, all my power, I’d die for you...”  
“Assshaaat! That’s easy. I want you to live. With me!”  
“I do! I do... I...”  
“Marry me.”  
Victor stares at him, then protests,  
“Marriage is a type of loyalty oath, a magical spell that links two people together… We shouldn’t do more spells like that...”  
“Oh... What about just City Hall?”  
Victor shakes his head.  
“We need to limit official documents about us. You should delete all your ethereal presence…”  
“Ethereal? Do you mean Internet?”  
“I think so.”  
Now Yuri seems even more upset. Victor tries to soften the blow with,  
“We could have a fancy gathering... and a beautiful cake…”  
Yuri seems to consider the offer, then whispers,  
“I… I kind of wanted... rings. I want to mark you as all mine.”  
Victor laughs and promises,  
“I’ll gladly buy you as many rings as you’d like…”  
Victor hugs Yuri again. Instead of being worried about being cursed into a long night, Yuri is worried about losing him... Victor looks out into the night, and sees the fog roll in towards them, wondering which little pool of darkness is plotting against them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I finally finished part 1 and part 2, and part 3 is in the works...
> 
> It was a lot of work to create my own vampire world, but it’s fun. San Francisco has a colorful history, and long living vampires are great way to show some of that. The historical characters mentioned are real, though obviously not vampires. Victor's mansion on Webster is real, and is quite spectacular. When I learned that after WWII many soldiers were discharged for being gay into the port of San Francisco – thus creating the Castro – I gave that story line to Maximilian. The cable car accident which involved Clemente and Rosa did happen as described, but in 1967 (LA Times).
> 
> The Golden Gate Bridge has unfortunately been the site of many suicides, and now has a safety net. If you or somebody you know has thoughts of suicides, please take it seriously. And don’t be discouraged if it takes effort to find help. There are lots of people who care, it’s a matter of finding them.


End file.
